Posted by Beth Schwinn, DCoE Public Affairs on March 30, 2015
Col. Sydney Hinds, national director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Centers
Although research is critical to improving treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI), service members currently coping with TBI receive the best available care, said Army Col. Sidney Hinds, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) national director.
“Our goal is to provide the best care possible for our patients using carefully evaluated research and clinical practice knowledge,” said Hinds, a neurologist, during his presentation at the annual meeting of the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology in February. “We use solid, state-of-the-science therapies to help patients today, while we continue to conduct research to improve TBI treatments for tomorrow.”
An estimated 2 million Americans sustain a TBI each year, and more than 320,000 service members have experienced them since 2000. The vast majority are concussions, known to researchers as mild TBIs. Gaps in TBI knowledge make understanding traumatic brain injury challenging. There have been more than two dozen failed clinical treatment trials. However, experts are optimistic that information derived from research endeavors will propel the field forward.