[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   COMMEMORATING BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK

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                            HON. JOE SESTAK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2009

  Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, today I rise to commemorate Brain 
Awareness Week (BAW) and the benefits of this informative week in 
educating students on brain science in my congressional district and 
across the country. Brain Awareness Week, launched in 1996, brings 
together the Society for Neuroscience, Dana Alliance for Brain 
Initiatives and 1200 other organizations worldwide who share a common 
interest in improving public awareness of brain and nervous system 
research. During Brain Awareness Week, neuroscientists around the globe 
educate K-12 students, senior citizens and the public at large on the 
wonders of the human brain. These activities include tours of 
neuroscience laboratories, museum exhibitions and classroom discussions 
on the elements of the human brain.
  This year, the Philadelphia area members of the Society for 
Neuroscience will host their annual Brain Awareness event at the 
Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on March 19-20. Many of my 
constituents will be exposed to the exciting world of neuroscience, 
hopefully become inspired to become the next generation of scientists, 
and learn about the connection between increased support for biomedical 
research and benefits to public health. Today, in recognition of Brain 
Awareness Week, I would like to highlight a serious brain condition 
that affects many of our men and women in uniform returning home from 
combat in Iraq and Afghanistan: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
  Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee and 
a former Naval officer, I know firsthand the reality of war and how it 
affects our soldiers. Many of our brave men and women experience severe 
trauma from land mines, road side bombs and other powerful explosives, 
which result in what are now recognized to be the signature wounds of 
these recent conflicts: TBI, the loss of limbs, and post-traumatic 
stress disorder (PTSD). In part, these wounds can be attributed to 
advanced body armor that shield soldiers' torsos from bullets, 
shrapnel, and injury and prevents them from being killed in attacks. 
Yet their bodies remain relatively exposed to the concussive effect of 
blasts that can raise atmospheric pressure by 1,000 times, rattling the 
brain against the skull. Neuroscience research has contributed 
significantly to the current standard of neurological and mental health 
care in the field and at military health facilities across the country.
  The numbers associated with these signature wounds, including TBI, 
are staggering and illustrate the need for additional research. During 
a Pentagon news conference on March 5, 2009, Department of Defense 
doctors reported as many as 360,000 U.S. Service members have 
experienced brain injuries, mostly concussions, representing about 20 
percent of the 1.8 million soldiers who have served in combat in Iraq 
and Afghanistan. The head of the Defense Centers of Excellence for 
Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury noted that while the 
overwhelming majority heal--and heal without treatment--an estimated 
45,000 to 90,000 troops have suffered more severe and lasting symptoms, 
which overall cost the U.S. Army $242 million last year for staff, 
facilities and programs to serve troops with brain injuries. 
Additionally, an unprecedented 36 percent of the veterans treated thus 
far have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. According to 
2003 data analyzed by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 60 percent of 
returning U.S. soldiers who had been exposed to blasts showed signs of 
brain injury, and face a lifetime of disability at an estimated cost of 
$60 billion annually.
  Madam Speaker, new research is exploring improved methods of 
treatment of TBI. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and 
Department of Veterans Affairs research facilities across the country 
are testing the anti-depressant sertaline as a treatment for symptoms 
of TBI, including irritability, depression, frustration, and anxiety. 
Neuroscientists are trying to understand how these explosives disrupt 
the function of the nervous system in order to develop specific 
recovery strategies. Activity-based therapy, which takes advantage of 
the brain's plasticity or ability to review and recover, is proving to 
be one of the most effective approaches in treating head injuries. Even 
when certain functions are lost, repeatedly practicing a movement seems 
to encourage the brain to reestablish the connections that support that 
function. Research in laboratory animals suggests that activity itself 
can increase the secretion of some nerve growth factors known to play 
an important role in the brain plasticity and learning.
  I would like to recognize that the enhancement of research for 
soldiers and others suffering from TBI continues to be a Congressional 
priority, as evidenced by the passage of the Traumatic Brain Injury 
Reauthorization Act, which I was proud to cosponsor. This legislation 
reauthorized many essential programs including the Traumatic Brain 
Injury Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, which 
conducts TBI research at laboratories on the NIH campus and also 
supports it through grants to major medical institutions across the 
country. The pursuit of cutting-edge brain injury research will remain 
on the nation's healthcare and neuroscience agendas for decades to come 
in hopes of developing innovative medical treatments that will enhance 
the quality of life for our veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Madam Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
Brain Awareness Week, which exposes our young citizens to the wonders 
of the brain. I also ask that you join me in continuing to support 
basic research that provides a foundation for new treatments that have 
an enormous impact on the lives of our brave men and women returning 
home from combat with TBI and other brain injuries and disorders.

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