Military environmental exposures and risk of breast cancer in active-duty personnel and veterans: a scoping review.

Background: The effects of military environmental exposures (MEE) such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), tactile herbicides, airborne hazards and open burn pits (AHOBP), and depleted uranium on health are salient concerns for service members and Veterans. However, little work has been done to investigate the relationship between MEE and risk of breast cancer.

Data Sources And Methods: We conducted a scoping review on MEE, military deployment/service, and risk of breast cancer among active-duty service members and Veterans.

The role of the brainstem in sleep disturbances and chronic pain of Gulf War and Iraq/Afghanistan veterans.

Introduction: Gulf War Illness is a type of chronic multisymptom illness, that affects about 30% of veterans deployed to the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War. Veterans deployed to Iraq/Afghanistan after 2000 are reported to have a similar prevalence of chronic multisymptom illness. More than 30 years after the Persian Gulf War, Gulf War Illness still has an unexplained symptom complex, unknown etiology and lacks definitive diagnostic criteria and effective treatments.

Brainstem damage is associated with poorer sleep quality and increased pain in gulf war illness veterans.

Aims: Gulf War Illness (GWI) is manifested as multiple chronic symptoms, including chronic pain, chronic fatigue, sleep problems, neuropsychiatric disorders, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and skin problems. No single target tissue or unifying pathogenic process has been identified that accounts for this variety of symptoms. The brainstem has been suspected to contribute to this multiple symptomatology.

Yoga is effective in treating symptoms of Gulf War illness: A randomized clinical trial.

Many Veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War report symptoms of Gulf War Illness, a condition involving numerous chronic symptoms including pain, fatigue, and mood/cognition symptoms. Little is known about this condition's etiology and treatment. This study reports outcomes from a randomized controlled single-blind trial comparing yoga to cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain and other symptoms of Gulf War Illness.

Diffusion tensor tractography of brainstem fibers and its application in pain.

Evaluation of brainstem pathways with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography may provide insights into pathophysiologies associated with dysfunction of key brainstem circuits. However, identification of these tracts has been elusive, with relatively few in vivo human studies to date. In this paper we proposed an automated approach for reconstructing nine brainstem fiber trajectories of pathways that might be involved in pain modulation.

Risk of cervical spine injury and other complications seen with skull fractures in the setting of mild closed head injury in young children: a retrospective study.

We have reviewed records for patients under 2 years of age who presented at our hospital with mild closed head injuries and nondisplaced skull fractures, specifically to examine methods utilized for spine clearance, associated cervical injuries, involvement and findings of child protective services and delayed complications. Of 42 patients included in the series, none were found to have cervical spine injuries. Child protective services were involved in 12 cases with confirmatory findings and subsequent placement occurring in 2 cases.