TBI and the military

Did you know that the military has a higher incidence and that active duty service members are at an increased risk for suffering a TBI when compared to their civilian counterparts.  One of the main reasons for this is simply demographics:  the largest age demographic for people who are the greatest risk to suffer from TBI are 18-24 and the very nature of what the military does and its personnel are exposed to.  For people serving in the military, you are at an increased risk for suffering TBI due to:
      - Bullets
      - Fragments
      - Blasts
      - Falls
      - Assaults
      - Motor vehicle traffic accidents

For those military personnel serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, the single most leading cause for TBI is blast-related injuries.  Another statistic is that males are 1.5 times more likely to suffer from TBI.  So when you combine that age demographic, gender, and the military role in war, you can easily see why serving in the military places you in a higher risk category.

So knowing this, I suppose the next thing to consider is how to mitigate your risk if you are exposed to a blast that could cause TBI.  We have already discussed face shields that are being studied by the military and scientists as a way to reduce the effects.  Through the course of some of my research I uncovered a little bit of information concerning fitness.  A November, 2010 article Pre-Injury Exercise May Mitigate the Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice is beginning to show some promise.  In the study, 9 mice were used.  4 mice were allowed to exercise on a wheel, while 5 mice were sedentary.  After 2 weeks, the mice were subjected to a procedure that "mimics" TBI.  After the