The Alarming Findings Inside a Mass Shooter’s Brain

The case of Robert Card has highlighted a growing concern about the repetitive blast exposure military personnel may face during training, suggesting that it could lead to significant brain injuries.

Discovery of brain damage in Robert Card's brain after his death

After Robert Card's death, the Maine state medical examiner sent his brain to a specialized brain lab at Boston University. There, researchers sliced his brain into very thin sections for microscopic examination and discovered profound injuries caused by damage to the white matter that connects gray matter. The damage evidenced in Card's brain is thought to result from the blast waves that surged through the brain during exposure to blasts—specifically grenade blasts in his case, which were previously thought to be safe.

Emerging research showing blasts can cause brain injuries in soldiers

Dave Phillips notes that recent research indicates that repetitive blast exposure from firing weapons can lead to a type of brain damage that affects the brain’s white matter, differing from CTE-like injuries. The case of Robert Card supports the suggestion that the safety threshold for blast exposure during military training is set too high. Phillips also highlights that Card never served in combat, implying that the brain damage may stem solely from military training, which could have wide implications for all troops during training.

The implications for many veterans potentially suffering brain injuries from blasts during training

Service members like Robert Card have shown symptoms similar to PTSD, leading to the consideration that an underlying condition related to blast exposure might be prevalent among soldiers. As Card had only been involved in training blasts, these findings indicate that significant brain injuries can occur without combat experience, affecting soldiers’ mental health substantially.

The military's knowledge of blasts causing brain damage

The military has been aware since around 2005-2006 that blasts from combat can cause brain damage, and substantial resources have been dedicated to understanding the effects of blasts. A brain bank was established by 2012, bearing evidence of characteristic scarring in whi ...

Dave Phillips delves into the subtle yet profound distinctions between physical injuries and psychological trauma in soldiers returning from war, reconsidering what causes their changes in behavior.

Physical blast exposure vs. psychological combat trauma as causes

Phillips opens up the debate on whether we've been missing the mark on diagnosing issues in veterans—whether their anxiety, depression, and other symptoms are not merely psychological responses to the horrors of war but also, or instead, the result of physical brain injuries from blast exposure.

Symptoms like anxiety, depression that were thought to be from combat may actually be from blast exposure

Phillips explores the case of Robert Card, whose behavioral changes were initially thought to be caused by the psychological impact of combat trauma. However, there's a growing acknowledgment that physical injuries from blast exposures during military training or combat might explain changes in behavior that have traditionally been attributed to psychological trauma.

This raises critical questions: Could conditions li ...