For nearly two decades now, the wars in the Middle East have created a generation of veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But as a new feature piece from the New York Times outlines, recent scientific studies indicate that PTSD may have deeper roots than once imagined.

Studies conducted by neuropathologists, such as Daniel Perl, may prove the existence of a physiological response to the traumatic experiences of war. Such a physical response could have vast implications for not only veterans struggling with PTSD but for many individuals suffering from diseases previously believed to be purely psychological. 

Much like the discoveries surrounding concussions in the NFL and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, soldiers who have experienced explosions in war may be undergoing physical changes in their brains.

As Perl’s study outlines, chronic traumatic encephalopathy is observed as the accumulation of an abnormal protein in the brain, called tau. The physiological indication of traumatic brain injuries caused by explosions in war appear as a “dustlike scarring,” often found in the areas of the brain responsible for sleep and cognition.

But even if Perl’s findings about physiological responses to war — specifically explosions — are substantiated, there are certain things that cannot be ignored about the experience of war. As the Times puts it, “There will be calls for more research, for drug trials, for better helmets and for expanded veteran care. But these palliatives are unlikely to erase the crude message that lurks, unavoidable, behind Perl’s discovery: Modern warfare destroys your brain.”

While the scarring on the gray brain matter itself is not necessarily responsible for PTSD, it may be the root cause of many symptoms previously (and incorrectly) associated with PTSD. One veteran outlined in the article, Brandon Matthews, said he often finds himself forgetting who he is, where he is, and what he is doing. Matthews experienced several explosions during his time in Iraq and other locations.

One of the earliest scientists to propose the exploration of the brains of soldiers was British researcher Fredrick Mott. However, because of the time in which Mott was making these hypotheses, his views were often overshadowed by the scientific environment — dominated by Freud and other psychologists.

But how, then, could Freud explain the real cognitive issues facing Matthews and other soldiers of modern warfare? The fact remains, that PTSD is not a catchall description of the cognitive issues facing 21st century veterans, even though it may be used as such.

While the research of Perl and other neuropathologists is ongoing, the idea that PTSD and symptoms currently associated with it may have a physiological — rather than purely psychological — explanation is a powerful discovery. Not only for individuals suffering from PTSD but for those suffering from a variety of mental illnesses, the potential existence of a physical reason for these issues could mean more mainstream understanding.

There is a lot left to be discovered about the impacts of war on the brains of troops. And even if these discoveries prove to be conclusive for PTSD, it won’t necessarily lead to the discovery of physical explanations for other mental illnesses. But it most certainly opens the door to a broader conversation about mental illnesses and the unfortunate stigmas associated with them.