Cole Secures $4 Million for Soldier Brain Health Assessment Program

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Congressman Tom Cole, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, today introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would allocate $4 million to create a brain health assessment program for all active duty soldiers pre and post-deployment.

"The men and women serving our country deserve the best medical treatment this country can provide for them," Congressman Cole said. "These funds will go to design a program that will assist active duty military with their health needs before they leave and after they return home from war. We have so many soldiers who have survived life threatening injuries, but now, due to the type of trauma they suffered, are experiencing health problems with their brains."

The program would include the administration of computer-based neurocognitive assessments, pre-deployment assessments to establish a neurocognitive baseline for members of the Armed Forces for future treatment, a tool to assess mood states associated with post-traumatic stress syndrome, and a standardized battery of tests to assess traumatic brain injury.

The amendment was included in the National Defense Authorization Act which overwhelmingly passed the House earlier today.

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