Two Houston doctors are part of a group in the U.S. helping Ukrainian physicians set up sites to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injuries suffered in the country’s war with Russia.
Dr. Kenneth Podell, a neuropsychologist who is the director of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center, and Dr. Mary Rose Newsome, a cognitive neuroscientist and associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, are among a half-dozen American doctors who are providing medical and financial aid to their counterparts in Ukraine.
Doctors in Ukraine said they have seen a spike in traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder since Russian troops invaded the country more than 200 days ago. The injuries have affected soldiers and volunteers who have taken up arms during the war, as well as civilians hurt by Russian offensives that have devastated cities and towns across Ukraine.
Traumatic brain injuries can have a range of long-term effects depending on the type and its severity. It could cause memory and concentration problems; seizures; trouble sleeping; mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety, among other issues.
The U.S. doctors are primarily offering guidance on how to diagnose and treat TBIs or PTSD, and how to set up a database to collect information that could be used to refine and improve the program going forward, Podell said. Doctors in Ukraine will set up the sites and provide the staff and equipment necessary to run them. Podell expects the assessment sites will be up and running within the next few weeks.
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