Military medicine
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Retracted Publication
Novel Approach for Detecting the Neurological or Behavioral Impact of Physiological Episodes (PEs) in Military Aircraft Crews.
Military and civil aviation have documented physiological episodes among aircrews. Therefore, continued efforts are being made to improve the internal environment. Studies have shown that exposures to many organic compounds present in emissions are known to cause a variety of physiological symptoms. We hypothesize that these compounds may reversibly inhibit acetylcholinesterase, which may disrupt synaptic signaling. As a result, neural proteins leak through the damaged blood-brain barrier into the blood and in some, elicit an autoimmune response. ⋯ Repetitive physiological episodes may initiate cellular injury, leading to neuronal degeneration in selected individuals. Diagnosis and intervention should occur at early postinjury periods. Use of blood-based biomarkers to assess subclinical brain injury would help in both diagnosis and treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Scrambler Therapy Treatment: The Importance of Examining Clinically Meaningful Improvements in Chronic Pain and Quality of Life.
Calmare Scrambler Therapy (ST) interferes with pain signal transmission by using nerve fibers to convey a message of normality to the central nervous system. This prospective, double-blinded, randomized trial had three aims. First, we tried to determine ST's effectiveness in reducing chronic neuropathic pain symptoms and analgesic medication use in military service members, when compared to sham treatment. Next, we examined its effect on reported mental and physical health-related quality of life. Finally, we sought to describe participant perceptions of treatment effectiveness. ⋯ ST is no better than sham treatment in decreasing pain. Yet, patient perceptions of treatment effectiveness are equally important in chronic pain treatment.
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Tissue injuries are often associated with abnormal blood flow (BF). The ability to assess BF distributions in injured tissues enables objective evaluation of interventions and holds the potential to improve the acute management of these injuries on battlefield. ⋯ The unique noncontact 3D imaging capability makes the scDCT applicable for intraoperative assessment of burns/wounds, without risk of infection and without interfering with sterility of the surgical field. The portable scDCT device holds the potential to be used by surgeons in combat surgical hospitals to improve the acute management of battlefield burn injuries.
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The goal of the present study was to characterize behavioral health rates, behavioral health care utilization, loneliness, and perceived prejudice and support among sexual minority soldiers. ⋯ Organizational barriers, such as perceived prejudice and lack of support, appear to still exist for sexual minority soldiers. Increasing organizational support and implementing training and education for health care providers in order to better support the LGB soldier community may mitigate these barriers.
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Scholars have described military deployments as one of the most stressful aspects of life for military couples. Deployment affects multiple roles and family members, yet little is known about the degree to which postdeployment outcomes are accounted for by predeployment functioning independent of deployment experiences. ⋯ Study findings reinforce the importance of predeployment preparation, providing families with resources to maximize resilience in response to the stress of deployment.