[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 17, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     HONORING BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK

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                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 2010

  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Brain Awareness 
Week supported by the Society for Neuroscience and nearly 2,400 other 
organizations, by highlighting a serious brain condition that affects a 
large number of our men and women in uniform: Traumatic Brain Injury, 
TBI.
  Each year, up to 30,000 of our combat soldiers in Iraq and 
Afghanistan and an estimated 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic 
brain injury. Some patients are fortunate and heal with few long-term 
symptoms. Other patients suffer significant disabilities for the rest 
of their lives, while others pass away as a result of their brain 
injury. In New Jersey, there are approximately 9,000 traumatic brain 
injuries a year, ten percent of which prove fatal.
  Research is needed to understand why some patients recover while 
others face long-term health issues from brain trauma. One of the key 
reasons for this is from secondary conditions that occur after the 
initial injury, such as insufficient blood flow to the brain, 
insufficient blood oxygen, or brain swelling. We must invest in more 
research to learn how to halt or prevent these secondary conditions to 
help more patients recover.
  There is no standard treatment for traumatic brain injury. 
Neuroscience research has contributed significantly in discovering new 
medical treatments for TBI patients. For instance, this month the 
Pentagon announced a new military policy where soldiers who have 
experienced a vehicle or roadside blast would be pulled from the war 
zone, evaluated for 24 hours, and checked for mild traumatic brain 
injury. This policy change was the result of research that showed that 
immediately examining and treating our troops reduces the chances of 
negative effects of serious head injuries.
  As a member of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, I believe 
we must continue to invest in innovative research to understand and 
treat brain injury in order to ensure a better quality of life for our 
soldiers and citizens struggling with this condition. For this reason, 
along with many others, I ask my colleagues to support a strong 
research investment in this year's budget, which will improve 
treatments for brain injury and other health conditions while laying 
the groundwork for our future economic growth.

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