REP. EDWARDS: $3 MILLION WACO VA PTSD RESEARCH PROGRAM BEGINS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas (17th CD), issued the following press release:

Rep. Chet Edwards today announced that the $3 million he secured for the Waco VA PTSD program in 2006 is now available so that researchers at Fort Hood, Texas A&M, Baylor, the Temple VA, and the Waco VA hospital can begin their work. The contract authorizing $3 million for the research was officially signed this week.

'This is an important first step in realizing our goal of making the Waco VA, in conjunction with Ft. Hood and the Temple VA, a world-class PTSD and mental health care research center. I am going to pursue this goal passionately, because it will improve the lives of thousands of veterans who have risked their lives for our nation,' said Edwards, chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee. Edwards created the program with $3 million he added to the 2006 Defense bill. Major new research programs such as the Waco VA PTSD research program can often take up to a year or more to start up. Last year, Edwards added $3.5 million for the program under a bill that the previous Congress failed to pass. Edwards has pledged to support that funding in the 2008 appropriations process, which begins in the spring.

The Waco VA PTSD program will focus on whether genes and brain anatomy play a role in the root causes of PTSD and related stress disorders. Researchers will screen and follow 1,400 Fort Hood troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq to study factors that affect the development and progression of PTSD and depression. Factors include combat exposure, family and command support, prior history of abuse and trauma, genetic profile and sleep patterns. The troops will be monitored for 6 months and retested as much as possible, starting in winter of 2007.

'The Waco VA and Ft. Hood are uniquely positioned to conduct world-class research with the Department of Defense and Texas A&M to find improved treatments and cures for veterans suffering from mental illness and post traumatic stress disorder,' said Edwards. 'The close proximity of a military installation that has sent over 40,000 soldiers to Iraq and a VA hospital that is a nationally recognized center of excellence for veterans' mental health care cannot be matched anywhere else in the country.'

The research project is one of the few research programs in the country focusing on the links between genes and brain anatomy. A recent study shows that a gene variant has a major influence on an important part of the brain's 'automatic threat detection system', causing it to be 20% larger than normal.

Congressman Edwards has also been working directly with leadership at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. and recently met with the Acting Secretary of VA Health Dr. Michael J. Kussman on January 18th to tell him his top priority this year was developing a long term plan for fuller utilization of the Waco VA hospital's capacity. Last month, Edwards fought for and received a $3.6 billion increase for veterans' medical care included under the final 2007 appropriations bill, which will also benefit the Waco VA hospital. Edwards is the Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee.Contact: Josh Taylor, 202/225-6105.

Josh Taylor, 202/225-6105.