As long as medicine and war have existed, combat has provided an open lab for the study of human trauma—mental and physical—and its long-term effects. Researchers have spent decades searching for answers about what exactly deployment does to the human brain, especially for those who return with traumatic brain injuries and PTSD. But when it comes to helpful treatment for veterans, many questions remain unanswered. The Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders, or TRACTS, is working to change that. Based at the VA Boston Health Care System, TRACTS aims to get a better understanding of what veterans who suffer from both a TBI and a co-occurring stress disorder like PTSD experience daily.
TRACTS co-directors Dr. Cate Fortier and Dr. William Milberg joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to share TRACTS' research. Below is a lightly edited transcript of the conversation.