A veteran in a plaid shirt and a clinician at MIBH sit on the ground and look on to a yellow lab in a service vest Slow is smooth, smooth is fast . This mantra has roots in military training, particularly among special forces units that regularly perform high-stakes tasks involving speed and precision.
It’s also often heard around the Marcus Institute for Brain Health (MIBH) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus as a helpful reminder to patients recovering from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and psychological conditions.
The institute was developed specifically for former and current military personnel and first responders who often endure TBIs that are complex and interfere with everyday life. For some, a major combat event can cause a brain injury that spawns symptoms for years. For others, smaller, repetitive blasts may lead to damage that compounds and creates cognitive and physical impairments. Researchers are working to better understand the latter.
“For too long, traumatic brain injury has been misunderstood and poorly treated. TBI is often misdiagnosed as mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), leading to ineffective treatment that fails to address the underlying injury,” says Brig Gen Kathleen Flarity , DNP, PhD, visiting professor of emergency medicine at the CU School of Medicine and executive director of the institute.
Each year, nearly 2.8 million Americans sustain a TBI and often experience life-altering functional effects.
“For military service members, veterans, and first responders, the impact is even greater,” says Flarity, who is also the deputy director of the Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research , which seeks to solve the U.S. military’s toughest medical challenges. “Mild traumatic brain injury is a signature wound of the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom wars, with blast-related injuries being particularly unique.”
These TBIs can often be invisible, but their impact can be life-changing.
“One of the most important things for the military and veteran community to understand is that effective treatment exists, and recovery is possible,” Flarity says. “Comprehensive care, addressing physical symptoms and cognitive, emotional, and psychological health, is essential. The treatment process takes time, but individuals […]
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