New research offers insight into brain trauma incurred by improvised explosive devices (IED), a problem affecting survivors of blast-related injuries since World War I

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Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 19 Issue 1 The Journal of ERW and Mine Action Article 18 May 2015 Distinctive Pattern Found in IED Survivors’ Brains News Brief Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU (CISR) Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal  Part of the Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation Brief, News (2015) "Distinctive Pattern Found in IED Survivors’ Brains," The Journal of ERW and Mine Action : Vol. 19 : Iss. 1 , Article 18. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol19/iss1/18 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact dc_admin@jmu.edu. 52 notes from the field | the journal of ERW and mine action | April 2015 | 19.1However, the implementation of the FAL Programme was destabilized dur-ing the LRA insurgency. Since the re-turn of IDP’s to Uganda, there has been no government initiatives to support and strengthen the FAL Programme in post-war communities.MRE integration into the FAL Pro-gramme would provide two significant benefits: It would strengthen MRE and increase adult literacy education in the region.In order to integrate MRE into the FAL Programme, the following steps should be taken:• Generate MRE course units• Incorporate MRE into curriculum• Mobilize additional resources• Print and distribute copies of MRE educational materials• Routinely monitor and  support supervisors• Train instructors as MRE educatorsHarriet Akello is senior literacy of-ficer with Uganda’s Ministry of Gen-der, Labour and Social Development. She develops and implements train-ing for literacy supervisors and in-structors. Akello holds a Masters of Adult and Community Education from Makerere University (Uganda) and a Masters of International Studies, Women and Development from Ewha Woman’s University (South Korea).Harriet AkelloSenior Literacy OfficerMinistry of Gender, Labour    and Social DevelopmentP.O. Box 7136 Kampala / UgandaTel: +256 075 293 5229Email: Akello_h@yahoo.comPending funding, a national MRE program should be designed and de-livered as part of the Victims Assis-tance Programme, run by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Develop-ment to strengthen and expand MRE in Uganda’s communities.ConclusionAlthough Uganda was declared mine-free in 2012, other ERW and re-sidual risks remain, threatening the population. MRE can be strengthened and sustained to protect these individ-uals. The Ugandan government could implement a national MRE strategy by integrating MRE into the FAL Pro-gramme and targeting local communi-ties with Uganda’s Victims Assistance Programme. However, any steps to in-corporate a MRE component into these programs are currently pending until additional government funds are pro-vided for these programs. See endnotes page 67New research offers insight into brain trauma incurred by improvised explosive devices (IED), a problem affecting survi-vors of blast-related injuries since World War I. These findings mark the first time modern pathology was used to examine long-lasting effects of explosions on the brain.1,2Individuals suffering brain damage from IED explosions ex-perience cognitive and psychological difficulties. Previously known as shell shock, this concept is called blast neurotrauma or blast injury to brain. Recently, the problem resurfaced as a health concern in the United States, as soldiers return from de-ployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.3Eight researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, (United States), studied the brains of five male U.S. military veterans who survived IED at-tacks and later died. The research data showed a distinctive brain pattern, which differs from that of brain damage caused by car crashes, drug overdoses and collision sports. The broken and swollen nerve fibers of IED-blast victims resemble a honey-comb pattern, and are found throughout critical brain regions including the frontal lobes, which control decision-making, memory, reasoning and other functions. This may explain some of the difficulties IED survivors face, such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.1,3According to researchers, these new findings “may be the never-before-reported signature of blast injuries,” which sol-diers suffer. Researchers did not observe the honeycomb pat-tern in any other type of brain injury.3This discovery will help doctors more effectively treat IED survivors. Although a fundamental step toward understanding how IED blasts affect the brain, more research is needed to de-termine the impact over time.2,3 See endnotes page 67~ Julie Stern, CISR staffDistinctive Pattern Found in IED Survivors’ Brains1Brief: Distinctive Pattern Found in IED Survivors’ BrainsPublished by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2015

Distinctive Pattern Found in IED Survivors’ Brains

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Distinctive Pattern Found in IED Survivors’ Brains

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