Target for preventing long-term effects.

• Position: Head Trauma

More than 200,000 U.S. soldiers serving in the Middle East have experienced a blast-related traumatic brain injury, making it a common health problem and concern for that population.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have various harmful long-term neurological effects, including problems with vision, coordination, memory, mood, and thinking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga., TBI from a head injury is a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., and close to 5,000,000 Americans --soldiers and nonsoldiers alike--are living with a TBI-related disability. Current therapy for these patients involves supportive care and rehabilitation, but no treatments are available that can prevent the development of chronic neurological symptoms.

Researchers from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, believe they may have identified a potential approach for preventing the development of neurological problems associated with TBI. Their research suggests that protecting axons--the fiber-like projections that connect brain cells--prevents the longterm neuropsychiatric problems caused by blast-related...