Deckard's program combines quantitative EEGs, PET scans, and neurocognitive testing to map how trauma, concussions, or substance use alter brain activity. The technology, Deckard says, offers "objective evidence" of invisible injuries. (David Walter Banks/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Her program combines quantitative EEGs, PET scans, and neurocognitive testing to map how trauma, concussions, or substance use alter brain activity. The technology, Deckard says, offers "objective evidence" of invisible injuries.
"It’s not just, ‘you’re anxious’ or ‘you’re depressed,’" she said. "We can show how the trauma affected the brain and measure improvement over time."
That distinction matters in a community where roughly 60% of service members who experience mental health problems never seek help, according to War Department data.
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Many of Deckard’s patients live with PTSD and substance-use disorders linked to repeated concussions or other physical trauma. (iStock)
"It allows us to get an in-depth, multi-point, objective look at what’s driving their symptoms," Deckard said.
From there, patients can receive what she calls neurorestorative care — therapies such as hyperbaric oxygen treatment, alpha-stimulation electrotherapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) that help retrain the brain.
"When individuals have engaged in neurorestorative care, we’ve seen significant improvements across multiple domains," she said. "Better blood flow, stronger electrical activity, sharper memory, less depression — measurable gains that give them hope."
The technology isn’t yet widespread across the VA system, where access and resources vary widely. Deckard hopes that will change. "We’re not reinventing the wheel," she said. "All these tools exist. The challenge is integrating them in one place."
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For her, the larger message this Veterans Day isn’t about technology itself — it’s about proof. Proof that invisible wounds are real, and that recovery is possible.
"When they return home, they’re still warriors," Deckard said. "We just have to give them the tools to fight for their own healing."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/marine-turned-psychologists-brain-breakthrough-helping-veterans-still-fighting-inside