VA Funding 3 Research Projects on Gulf War Illness

July 30, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a long and storied history with Gulf War Illness. Working off recommendations from the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force, the VA set aside $2.8 million to be used to finance 3 separate studies that will spotlight veterans who served in the Gulf War from 1990-1991. The studies will attempt to find new ways to test and/or treat the illnesses plaguing these veterans.

The relationship between the VA and veterans suffering from Gulf War Illness has been stressed and rocky over the years. This animosity came mostly from the VA spending many years denying the existence of Gulf War Illness, which meant thousands of denied disability claims. Funding these studies is the VA's way to reach out to these veterans deserving of care.

Roughly 697,000 soldiers served in the combined operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Following their return to the US, somewhere around 25% of those veterans began experiencing constant and sometimes debilitating symptoms. Veterans have reported suffering from:

• Fatigue;
• Weakness;
• Gastrointestinal problems;
• Cognitive dysfunction;
• Sleep disturbances;
• Persistent headaches;
• Skin rashes;
• Respiratory conditions; and
• Mood changes.

One of the studies will last 5 years and will appraise the value of resistance exercise training as it is used to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain and any and all related symptoms afflicting veterans. This study will be conducted at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Durham, North Carolina VA Medical Center will host a 4-year study focusing on if specific therapies enhance veterans' mood and memory. The study will have two parts, both spotlighting the effectiveness of how various medications work with other specific treatments.

The VA Puget Sound VA Medical Center in Seattle, Wash. is also hosting a study lasting 2-years. This study will compare "mindfulness-based stress reduction" with standard care.