The U.S. military is working to predict which members of their armed service is most at risk for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is thought to affect as many as one in five veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Earlier this year, a quarterly publication from the national PTSD center found that studies to date have looked at only "a narrow band of the potential risk and resilience predictors" and that more work beyond surveys was needed. The new PTSD studies are using technology to try to get at the answer. Select Marine and Army units are undergoing physical and mental tests before deployment including genetic testing, brain imaging and stress exams. They are followed in war zones and upon return. "Right now, we can"t determine with certainty who will and who won"t develop PTSD," said Paula Schnurr, deputy executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs" National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. "Perhaps with better measures, we can get closer." The work is funded by the Marine Corps, Veterans Affairs and Navy Medicine. Last year, about 1,000 Marines were recruited before leaving for Iraq. The testing comes in the midst of the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama assessing whether additional troops should be sent to Afghanistan. Since the 2001 terrorist attacks, more than 1.8 million U.S. troops have fought in Afghanistan or Iraq. Previously called shell shock, combat fatigue and post-Vietnam syndrome, PTSD was officially recognized as a mental disorder in 1980. Sufferers experience flashbacks, nightmares, sudden outbursts and social withdrawal and are sometimes haunted years after the trauma.
