Syncretism (II)
Mentioned this before, but it bears repeating:
Gulf War veterans suffered brain damage after chemical exposure, study saysCHICAGO (CNN) -- A new study of two small groups of Gulf War veterans indicates their brains may have been damaged by chemicals they were exposed to while serving in the region, researchers reported Tuesday at a meeting of radiologists.
"The findings suggest a substantial loss of brain cells in the areas that could explain the veterans' symptoms," said Dr. James Fleckenstein, a professor of radiology at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas where the research was conducted.
Fleckenstein said while the existence of Gulf War Syndrome is considered controversial, the study suggests there is a physical mechanism -- the exposure to neurotoxic chemicals -- responsible for the veterans' problems.
The study participants who complained of Gulf War Syndrome symptoms all had lower than normal levels of the chemical NAA or N-Acetyl-Aspartate in their brains.
The lower levels, according to researchers, indicate the loss of brain cells in the brain stem and basal ganglia. The brain stem controls some of the body's reflexes. The basal ganglia is the brain's switching center for movement, memory and emotion.
"If you have it from the brain stem, you may have problems with attention or balance. If you have it from the basal ganglia, center of mood, you may have depression, difficulty concentrating and pain problems," said Fleckenstein.
Want to know more?
Gulf War syndrome is real, study says : Some veterans suffer form of brain damageSome Gulf War veterans suffer from a form of brain damage found in toxic poisoning victims, a group of Dallas doctors said in a study released Friday.
In their second finding suggesting that Gulf War syndrome is real, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers found that ill veterans from a U.S. Navy reserve unit performed dramatically worse than their healthy veterans from the same battalion in a battery of brain tests.
"The amazing aspect of this study was just how badly the ill veterans did" said Dr. Jim Hom, a UT Southwestern clinical assistant professor of neurology. "There's something wrong with these ill veterans that is brain-related and, clearly, it is consistent with neurotoxic poisoning, not psychological reactions."
[. . .] In January, a day after the panel announced its conclusion, UT Southwestern researchers said the veterans' mysterious illnesses could be traced to wartime exposure to combinations of low-level nerve agents and common chemicals. The latter includes anti-nerve gas pills, insect repellant and flea collars provided to troops.
The new study compared brain-related and psychological functions of 46 veterans, of whom 20 were healthy and 26 suffered from symptoms such as memory and sleep problems, fatigue, confusion, imbalance and sore joints and muscles.
The ill veterans performed worse on 59 of 71 brain-related tests involving memory, intelligence, problem-solving, attention span and speech. They also showed a "global" pattern of damage affecting the entire brain, said Hom.
Didn't think so.
I'm in a shit mood, my jaw aches from grinding my teeth in my sleep and during the day yesterday and so far this morning, and I have a damaged brain.
This is so not a good day to fuck with me.
Or, it's a perfect day to fuck with me. Obviously, I need the release.