A new publication has been issued that maps the progress of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) research from January 2015 through June 2025. The pub identifies overlaps and gaps in specific areas as well as highlights areas that received the most-focused investment. TBI is a signature wound of war that has affected more than 500,000 service members since 2000.
Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel have been particularly at high risk because of frequent blast exposures and repetitive neurological stresses. However, there has been a distinct difference on the number TBI studies done on SOF personnel when compared to other populations within the military services. SOF has been under represented in the TBI research despite facing a higher risk of blast exposure and TBI.
Many TBIs go undiagnosed and are mild – but they often occur along with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. This can lead to long-term health conditions. The study finds that despite significant funding from federal and private sources, the TBI research is fragmented and siloed.
The RAND study provides a road map for researchers, funders, and policymakers for further TBI research that will close the knowledge gaps. It calls for a more coordinated research agenda that will lead to better prevention, diagnosis, care, and long-term recovery.
The Invisible Wounds Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting meaningful service-related TBI research, commissioned RAND to conduct a review of the TBI studies from the past ten years with an emphasis on the special operations community.
Read more in A Review of U.S. Military Traumatic Brain Injury Studies: Trends, Gaps, and Opportunities, RAND Corporation, 2025. (PDF, 56 pages)
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Invisible Woulds Foundation
https://invisiblewounds.org/
