Vanderbilt Helps Soldiers Recover From Head Trauma

Thousands of u-s soldiers come home from the Iraq war facing a "new" battle

It can happen with no outward signs of trauma but the inner-struggle soldiers face is daunting.

Fox 17's Flint Adam shows us how Vanderbilt medical center is helping soldiers win this battle

Exercise tests Sergeant Major David Allard's ability to handle several activities at once.


Matching card-suits and reciting words, with vanderbilt therapists are helping Allard rebuild brain-function.


At first glance - he may look okay, but he's a victim of traumatic brain injury, also called, TBI.

Vanderbilt Medical Center doctors say it's rampant in soldiers returning from Iraq.

Gary Duncan / Vanderbilt Hospital: "They don't look sick, but they act sick. They can't get back into their ordinary activity."


Sergeant Major Allard suffered his brain injury in early 2006.

He was part of a Humvee convoy driving in Iraq.


David Allard: "Two middle-age males come out and threw two anti-tank hand grenades at my vehicle that struck the vehicle."

Allard survived the attack with few outward injuries... But the explosions momentarily knocked him out.

The lasting effects wouldn't become clear until weeks later.

David Allard: "I noticed i was not remembering things: appointments, some paperwork was starting to fall through a little bit. my wife would notice that she'd start talking to me more and start asking me to do things and i'd just totally forget them."

Back at Allard's home post, Fort Campbell, doctors were noticing more and more soldiers returning with problems.

Their symptoms were firsts diagnosed as post tramatic stress disorder.

David Twillie / Warrior Care Clinic Chief: "In truth, we were seeing that from the very beginning of the conflict - you know, after the i-e-d blasts started to happen. but only more recently - over the last year or so - have we been able to really put that together in a way like traumatic brain injury."

Earlier this year Fort Campbell doctors reached out to vanderbilt and it's team of neurological specialists.

The doctors say specialized care provided at Vanderbilt is translating into more successful recovery for soldiers.

But Sgt. Major David Allard believes the majority of soldiers are doing better. He's impressed with the treatment he's received at a civilian medical center.

David Allard: "They've been very, very helpful and i'm very pleased with what Vanderbilt has here at the campus."

Vanderbilt doctors say traumatic brain injuries are sometimes hard to diagnose.

Earlier in the war several cases were incorrectly thought to be traumatic stress disorder...

Vanderbilt Medical Center's work is helping doctors begin more accurate treatment, sooner.
Vanderbilt Helps Soldiers Recover From Head Trauma