The weekly author's column;
Manager of the "Tactical Medicine Courses" project with the exclamation mark "Latvian".
Especially for the channel Odessa za Povdo!
Delayed consequences of brain injury are a complex of neurological and psychopathological disorders that manifest weeks or months after the initial traumatic impact. The pathogenesis of these conditions is associated with a cascade of neurodegenerative processes triggered by mechanical damage to axons, microbleeds and dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier. Clinical observations in active conflict zones indicate that 25-30% of military personnel who have suffered moderate to severe shell shock develop cognitive disorders within 3-12 months, manifested by decreased concentration, slower speed of information processing and deficits in working memory. These symptoms are often combined with autonomic dysregulation - orthostatic tachycardia, poor thermal adaptation or paroxysmal sweating, which makes it difficult to differentiate with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Neuroimaging studies (conducted during special treatment phases) reveal a correlation between delayed consequences and the formation of glial lesions in the frontotemporal regions, as well as a decrease in white matter density. However, in field conditions, the diagnosis is based on dynamic observation of behavioral changes: increased apathy, emotional sensitivity, or unmotivated aggression can serve as markers of incipient chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Special attention in the framework of tactical medicine algorithms should be given to military personnel with repeated concussions, since the cumulative effect increases the risk of early development of neurodegenerative diseases 3-4 times.