A significant proportion of military personnel deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) has been exposed to war-zone events potentially associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There has been significant controversy regarding healthcare policy for those service members and military veterans who return...

Obesity is a significant health problem among Veterans who receive care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, as it is for so many other Americans. Veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) experience a myriad of chronic conditions, which can make it difficult to maintain a physically active lifestyle. This pilot study tested the feasibility and user sa...

High rates of mental health conditions and unemployment are significant problems facing Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF). We examined two national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) databases from fiscal years 2008-2009: a larger database (n = 75,607) of OIF/OEF Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorder, or traumati...

Communication traffic is increasing continuously along with the expansion of video streaming service and the popularization of smartphones and other mobile devices requiring high-speed, large-capacity transmission. Digital coherent optical communication technology using multilevel modulation formats has already been used for long haul systems and is now attracting attention as a means of long-d...

BACKGROUND Combat-wounded service members are surviving battle injuries more than ever. Given different combat roles held by men and women, female service members should survive wounds at an unprecedented rate. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES We determined whether the casualty rates for females differ from their male counterparts and characterized wounds sustained by female casualties. METHODS We calcul...

Chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-occur at high rates, and Veterans from recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be particularly vulnerable to both conditions. The objective of this study was to identify key aspects of chronic pain, cognitions, and psychological distress associated with comorbid PTSD among this sample of Veterans. Baseline data were analyzed from a random...

DEVELOPMENT OF LOWER EXTREMITY INJURY CRITERIA ANDBIOMECHANICAL SURROGATE TO EVALUATE MILITARY VEHICLE OCCUPANTINJURY DURING AN EXPLOSIVE BLAST EVENTbyBRIAN JOSEPH MCKAYDecember 2010Advisor: Dr. Cynthia BirMajor: Biomedical EngineeringDegree: Doctor of Philosophy Anti-vehicular (AV) landmines and improvised explosive devices (IED) haveaccounted for more than ...

This study examined the performance of veterans and active duty personnel who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) on a basic associative learning task. Eighty-eight individuals participated in this study. All received a comprehensive clinical evaluation to determine the presence and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain in...

Sleep difficulty is a prevalent problem among returning Veterans. Although there is strong evidence for the efficacy and durability of cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBT-I) in the general population, the interventions require motivation, attention, and adherence from patients to achieve successful outcomes. Given the unique characteristics of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Endu...

Driving simulator performance was examined in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) Veterans to objectively evaluate driving abilities among this cohort who self-report poorer driving safety postdeployment. OIF/OEF Veterans (n = 25) and age- and education-matched civilian controls (n = 25) participated in a 30 min driving simulator assessment that measured the frequency o...