Abstract
ABSTRACTTBI and PTSD are global issues and are often referred to as signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Art therapy can provide unique insights into military service members’ injuries and states of mind via externalisation within an art product; however, interpretation of results is complex and subjective. Advance neuroimaging tools such as resting state fMRI can be employed to demonstrate objective measures of brain structure and activity. This case series highlights two distinct patient profiles, suggesting a relationship between resting state connectivity maps and dynamic thalamic connectivity (as well as PCL-C and NSI scores and brain scars) and the corresponding visual elements of masks made during art therapy treatment. Ultimately, this study indicates a need for future research examining potential neurological changes pre- and post-art therapy treatment.
Highlights
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is prevalent among US military service members
We present a case report of instances where art therapy products created during maskmaking and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neuroimaging data represent two relatively distinct patient profiles
The service members (SMs) experienced multiple blast injuries from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along with the loss of life of SMs under his command. He reported no loss of consciousness (LOC) but did experience multiple occurrences of alteration of consciousness (AOC) from these blast events
Summary
Between 2000 and 2017, an estimated 370,688 service members (SMs) suffered from TBI, of which mild TBI (mTBI) accounts for 82% of all reported cases (Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, 2017). While most mTBI symptoms are transient and resolve within three months post-injury (Ruff, 2005), an estimated 20% of injured mTBI patients continue to experience chronic impairment (Nathan et al, 2015). Neuroimaging tools such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can provide non-invasive objective information relating to injuries in moderate and severe TBI. With modern medicine’s tendency to utilise diagnostic flow charts and broad population-based clinical practice guidelines to design treatments, individualising care for patients can be challenging
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