Concussions can hit anyone at any time.  Sure, those that play high-impact sports, like football and hockey, are more susceptible.  But this problem is one that will effect all of us.  This cannot be more true than on the battlefield (see The Concussion Blog Archives on this).

“It’s an enormous issue,” she said. “Concussion and TBI have been called the signature medical issues of the wars in the Middle East because of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), the weapon of choice for the insurgents, and rocket-propelled grenades, which can cause blast injuries that we’re just learning about.

“An explosion can cause different kinds of injuries because of the heat and noise, the shock waves and electromagnetic pulse,” she said. “And troops can be exposed to several blasts even in the same day. We take athletes out of a game after one concussion, but troops often go right back into action.”

That is a quote from Dr. Susan Thompson, a clinical neuropsychologist in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

You can read the entire story written by Chuck Haga HERE.