The Defence Ministry today cut the ribbon on a new center for the diagnosis, treatment and study of traumatic brain injury and post -combat psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The $ 65 million National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) in Bethesda, Maryland, will be part of the new WalterReedNationalMilitaryMedicalCenter.
The center will be able to accommodate up to 20 inpatients when it opens this fall. It features a state-of-the-art neuroimaging equipment and advanced virtual reality systems to be used for diagnosis, rehabilitation and research.
"In terms of what is all there in one place, there is no such place else on Earth, much less in the military system," said James Kelly the neurologist tapped to head the new center. Kelly is on leave from the University of Denver Colorado School of Medicine, where he is professor of neurosurgery and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Kelly said a major focus of research at NICoE will be the potential interaction between mild traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Soldiers exposed to an explosive blast or a blow to the head often have some of the same symptoms as those who witness a traumatic event, said Kelly. There is also evidence that some of the same brain regions involved in PTSD are particularly vulnerable to physical injuries, said Kelly. "There may be some overlap ... we do not fully understand."
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