Scientists have discovered a brain disease in veterans, leading to suicide

This young man addicted to alcohol, and the car accident cost him his driver's license. Department of Veterans Affairs diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD When his parents did not get of news from him for two days, they asked the police to check it out. Police found his body; he hanged himself on his own belt.

A similar story is very common, but autopsy of the brain of this young man may have been historic. It showed something striking that may shed light on the epidemic of suicide and other problems experienced by war veterans.

His brain was physically modified disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE This - a degenerative condition known that affects boxers, football players and other athletes who are experiencing constant blows to the head.

People with CTE, protein accumulates irregular shapes and eventually destroys the cells throughout the brain, including frontal and temporal lobe. Those - the area of ​​the brain that are responsible for: judgment, management of multiple tasks, memory and emotions.

"Imagine a soft, gelatinous material, surrounded by fluid, and then surrounded by a hard skull," explained Robert A. Stern, an expert on CTE School of Medicine, Boston University. "When the brain strikes going to move beyond the cranium, or swing in the interior of the skull. And the helmet does not help you with frequent jolt ".

Dr. Stern emphasized that the study CTE It is still in its infancy. But he said his hunch - that the CTE the reason is - he has no idea how much - Suicide veterans. C.T.E. It leads to a degenerative loss of memory, reduced ability for reflection and, ultimately, dementia. It is also often observed depression, impulsivity, and, very often, suicide. Currently there is no cure or way to diagnose CTE in addition to studies of the brain after death.