Page 13 - Layout 1
P. 13
MILITARY
MEDICINE
LOCAL RESEARCH NETWORK
COMBATS
By Alan Peterson, Ph.D.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 2.5 million service members investigators and institutions of higher education to secure approx-
have deployed to the Middle East in support of combat opera- imately $50 million in additional peer-reviewed funding from the
tions. Of those, an estimated 14 percent suffer from post-trau- DoD, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Insti-
matic stress disorder (PTSD), and as many as 25 percent report tutes of Health (NIH), and private foundations to support more
some psychological problems. This is why, along with traumatic than 20 additional STRONG STAR-affiliated projects. In 2013,
brain injury, PTSD has been identified as one of the signature UT Health San Antonio was selected, in partnership with the VA’s
wounds of post-9/11 deployments. National Center for PTSD, to receive $46 million in joint funding
by the DoD and VA to lead the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD
Unfortunately, despite major medical advancements that are sav- (CAP). The CAP supports 11 nationwide research projects targeting
ing wounded warriors from war-related injuries they might not have combat PTSD and related conditions.
survived in years past, clinicians have a dearth of information to
guide them on how effectively to treat combat-related PTSD. There Now with over 150 collaborating investigators from more than
are few evidence-based treatments for PTSD, and even these had 40 partnering military, VA, and civilian institutions across the coun-
previously been studied only in civilian populations or with Viet- try, STRONG STAR and CAP have assembled an unprecedented
nam-era veterans, with no adaptations to the unique challenges of collaboration of highly qualified researchers and clinicians and es-
treating combat PTSD or to improve the feasibility of delivering tablished an unparalleled network of clinical trials. Many of these
these treatments in military settings. trials are evaluating the leading civilian treatments for PTSD and
co-occurring conditions with a focus on how best to adapt and tailor
Located in Military City USA (San Antonio), home to military them to meet the unique needs of our nation’s war fighters. This
medical education, and in the region with the largest concentration collaboration unifies the critical mass of talent required to make sig-
of active duty military and post-9/11 veterans, UT Health San An- nificant scientific advances in PTSD research and to develop and
tonio has felt a sense of duty to prevent the development of chronic deliver PTSD treatment programs that are relevant, effective and
PTSD in a new generation of war veterans and has responded to ad- feasible in military and VA settings.
dress this national public health crisis like none other. Over the past
10 years, UT Health San Antonio has emerged as the nation’s lead- Today, the group’s impact is being felt. One way is through the
ing academic institution of higher education in the development direct care and treatment of psychologically wounded warriors.
and evaluation of evidenced-based treatments for combat PTSD and Through its large clinical trials network that includes many of the
related conditions (traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, sleep dis- military’s seminal studies on PTSD and related conditions,
orders, substance use disorders, tinnitus and suicide) in active duty STRONG STAR and CAP have provided state-of-the-art clinical
military personnel and recently discharged veterans. assessments and treatments to over 6,000 post-9/11 service members
and veterans. In many cases, this treatment is by credentialed UT
UT Health San Antonio has established the STRONG STAR Health San Antonio research staff embedded into military and VA
Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. These part- treatment facilities, significantly reducing patient care burden for
nering, federally-funded, multi-institutional initiatives together form busy military and VA providers.
the world’s largest research group focused on combat PTSD and
commonly co-occurring conditions. The long-term impact of STRONG STAR and the CAP will
come — and is already beginning — through research findings that
STRONG STAR — an acronym for the South Texas Research Or- will influence the treatment of military service members and veter-
ganizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma And Resilience — ans for many years. With the conclusion of STRONG STAR’s orig-
was originally selected by the Department of Defense (DoD) in 2008 inal studies, including several of the largest randomized clinical trials
for peer-reviewed funding of approximately $40 million to support 14 in history to evaluate cognitive-behavioral therapies for the treat-
clinical research projects targeting active duty military and veterans ment of psychological health conditions in active duty military pop-
throughout Texas and to foster the collaboration of many of the na- ulations, research investigators are busy presenting and publishing
tions’ top scientists and clinicians to develop and evaluate the best pos- findings about what treatments work best and how best to deliver
sible treatments for combat-related PTSD and co-morbid conditions. those treatments to maximize access and effectiveness.
Since that time, the consortium has partnered with nationwide continued on page 14
visit us at www.bcms.org 13
