Cohen Veterans Bioscience (CVB) fully supports portrayals in Causeway for its accurate depiction of traumatic brain injury and the Veteran experience. Cohen Veterans Bioscience is pleased to see brave artists take an unflinching approach to bring this difficult topic of TBI out of the shadows. Jennifer Lawrence stars as a military engineer healing from TBI and the invisible wounds of war.  The film follows “Lynsey,” who suffers a traumatic brain injury while deployed in Afghanistan and her struggles with rehabilitation and depression adjusting to life back home.

“We hope the film Causeway will do for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) what Concussion did for CTE in taking the first step of normalizing the conversation by spreading awareness about these invisible wounds. CVB is committed to advancing the science of and treatments for TBI and we encourage all people touched by traumatic brain injury to openly discuss and seek the help they need to heal,” said Magali Haas, MD, PhD, CEO & President, Cohen Veterans Bioscience.

What Is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

TBIs result from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or from a penetrating head injury. Explosive blasts can also cause TBIs; this is a particular concern among those who serve in the military. Essentially, any external force that causes the brain to move within the head can disrupt normal brain function, leading to loss of consciousness, or being dazed and confused.

Clinical Signs of Alteration in Brain Function

• Any period of loss of or decreased consciousness
• Any loss of memory for events immediately before or after the injury
• Neurologic deficits such as muscle weakness, loss of balance and coordination, disruption of vision, change in speech and language, or sensory loss
• Any alteration in mental state at the time of the injury such as confusion, disorientation, slowed thinking, or difficulty with concentration

TBI in Veterans: a Population of Special Concern

Military service members and veterans of recent conflicts and combat are a population of special concern.

Since September 11, 2001, the U.S. has deployed more than 2.7 million men and women to support combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to the Department of Defense’s evaluation of U.S. military casualty statistics:

• From 2000-2019 Q3, 413,858 United States military personnel worldwide experienced a TBI; 82.8% were considered mild, 9.8% moderate, and 2.3% penetrating or severe.
• The incidence of TBI has increased since 2000, with a peak in 2011 and 2012.
• Approximately 80% of new TBI cases occur in non-deployed settings, with military members also sustaining TBIs during training activities.
• Out of 770,000 veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom who sought care from a VA Medical Center, nearly 60,000 were evaluated or treated for a TBI-related condition.

Further, military personnel with a history of mild TBI are at an increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress (PTS).

Among U.S. Army infantry soldiers returning from Iraq, 43.9% of those who reported a TBI with loss of consciousness also reported symptoms of PTS.

Learn more about our TBI research