Brain Trauma in Iraq
Emily Singer's article on brain trauma suffered by U.S. military personnel in Iraq underscores the fact that even with recent advances in functional neuro­imaging techniques, brain injuries are difficult to diagnose, owing to the complexity of the brain and of the cognitive functions it enables the healthy adult to perform ("Brain Trauma in Iraq," May/June 2008). The affected veterans deserve help, all the more so because they are returning to a workforce in which cognitive ability is increasingly valued. Neurology appeals to medical students and other health professionals in search of a monumental challenge, since it demands multidisciplinary expertise while seldom yielding simple solutions. Singer's article suggests that we need to encourage more health professionals to choose this specialty in the hopes that they will help develop better diagnostics and therapies.
William E. Cooper
Midlothian, VA

On April 17, the California State Senate unanimously passed a bill that will ensure screening of veterans for traumatic brain injury; it is to be hoped that the bill will serve as a model for other states. For too long, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has taken a reactive stance to the problem of TBI. Imaginative research such as that described in Singer's piece, coupled with proactive screening such as that now legislated by California, will be crucial in mitigating the awful effects of TBI.
Jerome V. Blum
Los Altos Hills, CA