Military Personnel with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Project

It is well known that military personnel are returning from recent conflicts with notable rates of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and associated persistent post-concussive symptoms (PCS), including headaches and emotional distress. Such symptoms can negatively impact the performance of those on Active Duty, throughout deployment, in and post-combat, as well as following discharge (Veterans). Because of these far-reaching effects, mTBI and associated comorbidities pose a significant challenge and burden to Service Members/Veterans, their families, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and local, regional and national resources including, health care, educational, and vocational systems.

Optimally, an intervention for those with chronic post-concussive headaches (PCH) would show efficacy at reversing post-mTBI adversity, and be able to be utilized with minimal stigma. In addition, the intervention should be highly accessible, low cost, be able to be self-sustaining (e.g., portable) and with minimal side effects.

One potential intervention is yoga, a practice involving physical postures, breath awareness and exercises, and mindfulness meditation.

As such, the goal of this study is to learn more about a yoga-based treatment for Veterans with mTBI and Post-Concussive Headaches.

This project is being funded by the Colorado Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund (part of Mindsource Brain Injury Network), Contract IHEA #101374