Penetrating injuries in the Vietnam war. Traumatic unconsciousness, epilepsy, and psychosocial outcome.

The WF Caveness Vietnam Head Injury Study includes over a thousand men who survived penetrating head injuries during the Vietnam War and on whom detailed medical and follow-up data are available. This population offers unique opportunities for the study of recovery from brain injury and of brain structure-function relationships. The authors briefly review long-term outcome in this cohort with respect to traumatic unconsciousness, post-traumatic epilepsy, and elements of psychologic and psychosocial function, including returning to work.