A new proposed rule by the Veterans Affairs Department issued in late 2012, changes the service connection of illnesses after service related TBI. A recent report from the National Academy of Sciences entitled “Gulf War and Health,” Volume 7: Long-term Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury Showed the Association Between TBI and Five Diagnosable Illnesses. Parkinson’s, Pre-senile dementia of the Alzheimer’s type, and post traumatic dementia. They noted “reported cases showed that individuals with TBI often are diagnosed with dementia at ages younger than their early 50’s and within fifteen years of their injuries.”
Therefore the changes are to make it easier for Veterans to obtain medical benefits and disability following a moderate to severe TBI in the following instances:
1. Parkinsonism following moderate or severe TBI.
2. Unprovoked seizures following moderate or severe TBI.
3. Dementia within fifteen years of moderate or severe TBI.
4. Depression if manifest within three years of moderate or within twelve months of mild TBI.
5. Diseases of hormone deficiencies that result from changes within twelve months of moderate or severe TBI.
This goes to show that medical sciences now establishing that TBI is a chronic disease and not a static injury. Societal changes regarding this fact will take time but will represent an important shift in the way our society views this prevalent injury.