Treating Invisible Wounds from the Battlefield and the Street
Fiber tracts are bundles of nerve fibers (axons) that connect different parts of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). They are essentially the “wiring” of the brain, allowing information to be transmitted between various regions. In essence, fiber tracts are the highways of the brain, facilitating the intricate communication networks that enable thought, movement, and sensory perception. [NOTE: The concept of shearing of nerve fibers causing brain damage due to head injury, now known as diffuse axonal injury (DAI), was first proposed by Sabina Strich in 1956. Her initial research, which focused on lesions of white matter in individuals with head trauma, led her to suggest that these lesions were related to the development of dementia following head injury.]
May 2, 2025
Arlington, VA
Guest Author: Dr. Cynthia Dowdall, Ph.D. Arizona Integrated Mobile Wellness at NorthStar Neurology
Many clinicians are not trained to understand neurobehaviors resulting from fiber tract wounds (Diffuse Axonal Injury-DAI) in the brain leading to mental health issues and suicides. These invisible wounds in our Veterans are due to blast injuries, firing guns, exposure to burn pits, other toxic exposure, fall injuries, Directed Energy Weapons (the weapons of the future), and PTSD. Our Law Enforcement Officers/Federal Agents are subjected to concussions due to “Fight for your Life” training, exposure to fires/toxins, car accidents, fall injuries, Directed Energy Weapons, and being assaulted during apprehensions, and PTSD. Our Firefighters/EMS personnel are exposed to toxins in fires, hazmat incidents, brain shearing (fiber tract wounds) from jumping off fire trucks and the back of ambulances, fall injuries, health risk exposures, roof collapses, and PTSD. A greater understanding of fiber track wounds is a needed change in our healthcare industry just as understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been for decades. The Rand Report article, The Invisible Wounds of War (2008) began to explore the link between PTSD and Post-concussion Syndrome (PCS) resulting in an understanding that both present as invisible wounds with similar symptoms. The MRI-Diffusion Tensor Imaging (MRI-DTI) of the brain has made these fiber tract wounds visible. The three fiber tracts seen above are the Association Fiber Tract (green), the Projection Fiber Tract (blue), and the Commissural Fiber Tract (red) (please refer to Dr. Jack Nolte’s book the Human Brain, 8th Edition).
The Association Fiber Tract is for cognitive and affective processing. If a person also has experienced trauma, this fiber tract wound makes it more difficult to process thoughts and feelings. The above image indicates that it is truncated and it is not firing completely across the left hemisphere. This individual presents with Diffuse Axonal Injury Neurobehaviors of depression, anxiety, going from zero to 100, and sleep issues. When Combat Veterans and First Responders view their MRI-DTI they often cry.
The great news is that Hyperbaric heals these wounded fiber tracts (the hard drive of the brain) where research has indicated that it also creates neurogenesis by growing new neurons (please refer to Dr. Paul Harch’s book, The Oxygen Revolution). At our clinic, this is why it is recommended that a patient complete a minimum of 20 Hyperbaric sessions before starting BrainPaint Neurofeedback.
Neurofeedback assessment questions are based in neuropsychology and reveal Diffuse Axonal Injury Neurobehaviors. Many of our Veterans have referred to Neurofeedback (NFB) as taking care of the software of their brain. It trains the fiber tracts to be in the appropriate brainwave reducing depression (biological sadness), anxiety, increases cognitive/affective processing, improves memory, and more. For example, when the right hemisphere is over aroused (high beta brainwave) compensating for the left hemisphere, which is under aroused (alpha/theta brainwave), the Diffuse Axonal Injury Neurobehaviors that most Veterans and First Responders present with are biological sadness, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Medications are an attempt to balance these brainwaves without understanding what area of the brain is over aroused or under aroused due to Diffuse Axonal Injury of fiber tract wounds. This is not to say that some may need medication, but many have stated they don’t after completion of treatments. As seen in the movie Concussion based on a true story, the medications exacerbated Diffuse Axonal Injury Neurobehaviors and increased suicides in NFL players. Many of our Veterans and First Responders have had similar symptoms as NFL players have had. The difference is the NFL has been forced to do something about it. Unfortunately, those serving our country and our communities continue to have their fiber tract wounds ignored by our healthcare system.
Veterans and First Responders have expressed physical pain and are being prescribed medications that cause further complications in healing their brain injuries. The research is exploring how pain medications increase PI16 (Peptidase Inhibitor 16 protein) contributing to further pain possibly adding to suicidal ideation in some. The research has indicated that pain and depression may be due to a deficiency in Alpha Lipoic Acid, PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide), D3-K2, Vitamin B’s, Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium Glycinate. Additionally, there is research indicating a significant reduction in pain and depression after using Alpha Lipoic Acid. These deficiencies need to be evaluated by a medical practitioner trained in this area. Many have reported that Hyperbaric Oxygen has reduced their pain and psychological trauma.
In the book The Concussion Cure, Dr. Paul Wand writes about the combination of Hyperbaric, Neurofeedback, and the use of supplements as the Gold Standard in treating Post-concussion Syndrome. He speaks of the many positive and observable changes in his patients after their treatments. Many Veterans and First Responders concur and have further reported their treatments helped them to move forward regaining their health and well-being.
To mainstream these gold standard treatments, changes in ICD-11 Coding (International Classification of Diseases) and CPT Codes (Current Procedural Terminology) need to include Hyperbaric and Neurofeedback to treat fiber tract wounds. Such changes will make these treatments billable and more available. In addition, Directed Energy Weapons (weapons causing invisible wounds) need to be recognized as causing profound brain injury. This injury must be categorized in the ICD-11 Coding System as Nefarious Post-Concussion Syndrome (NPCS) with Hyperbaric and NFB as acceptable procedural terminology. BrainPaint Neurofeedback is the most comprehensive operant conditioning and cognitive behavioral treatment available, as researched by Bill Scott (https://neurofeedback-system.com). Like Neurofeedback, Hyperbaric Oxygen has been misunderstood where it has been researched as a significantly proven treatment for PCS and PTSD by those in the field. After the treatment of PCS and PTSD with Hyperbaric, NFB, and the suggested supplements, we have seen those who were diagnosed with mental health issues disappear, including suicidal ideation. Our Veterans and First Responders are skeptical individuals, as they have learned to be and yet they are advocating for these treatments to be mainstream because the work.
In conclusion, brain injury is a wound that never heals without the appropriate treatments of Hyperbaric Oxygen, Neurofeedback, and supplementation. Specifically, MRI-DTI’s are revealing what was once considered invisible wounds of the brain. Some Veterans and First Responders have requested a second MRI-DTI after completing all treatments. These follow up MRI-DTI’s have shown significant and visible healing of fiber tracts resulting in lives restored. What a sight to see!
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Dr. Dowdall has a Ph.D. in Neuropsychology, Sport Psychology, and Rehabilitation where she studied neuropsychology and the elite mindsets in Military Members and First Responders. She retired from the fire service as the Director of Behavior Health and was a part of the Tucson Metropolitan Medical Response System which contributed to the development of Homeland Security. She led a peer support team that consisted of Military Members, First Responders, Wildland Teams, hospital staff, schools, and the University of Arizona to work with First Responders after the Gabby Giffords’ shootings, nursing students and faculty members after The University of Arizona, College of Nursing Shootings, The Ironwood Hotshots the sister team to the Granite Hotshots after they were killed, many wildland fires, the Osprey Crash where 19 marines were killed, and military members after returning from deployments. She is currently working with Dr. Henricks at NorthStar Neurology treating Veterans and First Responders and their family members with Post-concussion Syndrome, PTSD, and Toxic Exposure.
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The TreatNOW Mission is ending service member suicides. Along the way, we have learned that we can end suicidal ideation, help end symptoms of PTSD, get patients off most of their drugs, and heal brain wounds to end the effects of Concussion, BLAST injury, mild TBI Persistent Post Concussive Syndrome, and polytrauma from AHI and Burn Pits. No Veteran or civilian has ever been killed while undergoing HBOT treatment for TBI/PTSD. For a video Summary, see:
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