[1] Shockwave and blast wave injuries include, but are not limited to visual and auditory injuries and impact respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and renal systems.  However, for the purpose of this symposium the focus shockwave and blast wave injuries as they pertain to the auditory, visual, and CNS (i.e., TBI) systems and associated psychological injuries (e.g., PTS) and poly-traumas.

are considered “underestimations!”  In addition, the above figures do not include the more than 244,000 military and veterans diagnosed with a brain injury (meaning they have been or are receiving treatment in a military or a VAMC facility) and an untold number of either misdiagnosed or undiagnosed Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with an unmet and potentially life threatening brain injury.  Neither of these figures takes into consideration active military and veterans over the last 12 years who have suffered traumatic eye injuries[1], shockwave and blast wave injuries, nor those with poly-traumas i.e., more than one of these invisible injuries.  Nor do the above figures for PTS, TBI, Shockwave and Blast Injuries, and Poly-Trauma include incidences from the Vietnam War, Lebanon, the Gulf War, Somalia, Bosnia, or Kosovo.

Research and clinical developments in these injury areas (i.e., PTS, TBI, Shockwave and Blast Injuries, and Poly-Traumas) within Defense Centers of Excellence, VAMCs, medical colleges, and research universities throughout the United States continue to identify critical scientific insight into these injuries and clinical interventions across modalities within the health, medical, and mental health fields.

This symposium will focus on two areas 1) clinical education and practice across the four injury areas and 2) the development of or linkage with an open source network to make that which has been presented and discussed throughout the symposium open to the health, medical, and mental health fields.

The primary purpose of the symposium is educating health, medical, and mental health practitioners and other professional providers on the latest scientific research and its clinical application in identifying and treating PTS, TBI, Shockwave and Blast Injuries, and Poly-Traumas.  Educating this group of practitioners and other professionals is critical because for many veterans who are not being actively seen by VAMCs and clinics are seeing their family doctor, therapist, or an employee assistance professional none of whom are aware of either his or her veteran status or possible combat-related invisible injury. 

The secondary purpose of the symposium is providing health, medical, and mental health practitioners and other professional providers the research and clinical interventions and techniques collected throughout the symposium through an open source network.  The secondary purpose recognizes the application of the symposiums knowledge base across the military/veteran community as well as the civilian community.  To accomplish this all papers will be made available online, all speakers and trainers presentations - to include print, PowerPoint™, and video will be available on a secure open source network for attendees during and following the symposium.  All speakers, trainers, and panels will be videotaped, audio will be transcribed, and as needed all material will be professionally edited and made available following the symposium.