About the Program
The Veterans Health Research Program in the Division of Neuropsychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine is conducting research on the long-term health consequences of military service during the 1990-1991 Gulf War era. Current projects include clinical studies to advance understanding of Gulf War illness and identify biomarkers and treatments for this challenging condition. In addition, epidemiologic studies will determine veterans’ current health status and evaluate the broader spectrum of health issues affecting military personnel who served during the Gulf War era. This multidisciplinary research program involves collaborators from diverse scientific fields in Texas and across the nation. We seek to provide answers to the important health questions that remain from the Gulf War, with the ultimate objective of improving the health and lives of veterans.
1990-1991 Gulf War and Gulf War Illness
The 1990-1991 Gulf War was among the most impressive combat operations in modern history. Despite the brevity of the war and its successful outcome, many U.S. troops returned home reporting difficult, unexplained health problems. The complex of chronic symptoms once labeled Gulf War Syndrome by the media is now more commonly known as Gulf War illness. Epidemiologic research indicates that Gulf War illness affects at least one in four of the nearly 700,000 U.S. troops who served in the Gulf War and that few veterans have recovered in the years since the war.
Scientific studies indicate that Gulf War illness is not a psychiatric condition and cannot be attributed to wartime stress, pointing instead to a number of deployment-related exposures as likely causes or contributors. Research has identified neurological, immune, and other biological alterations in veterans with Gulf War illness. Important work remains, however, to better understand the physiological processes that drive veterans' symptoms and to identify effective treatments.
Current Projects
Baylor is a collaborating site for this multisite project that includes a coordinated series of clinical and preclinical studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the pathobiology of Gulf War Illness (GWI). Assessment of neurological, immune, endocrine, and genetic parameters are conducted in Gulf War veterans at three sites: Houston, Boston, and Miami. Findings from this consortium, based at Boston University, will be used to identify brain-immune pathways that can be targeted for developing diagnostic tests and treatment interventions.
This project is assessing a broad range of biological measures, including brain imaging and tests of immune function, inflammation, adrenal function, and other parameters. These measures are used to identify the range of biological processes that underlie the symptoms of Gulf War illness and differentiate veterans with Gulf War illness from healthy veterans. Veterans are evaluated over two consecutive mornings at our clinic site.
This project utilizes brain imaging data to assess brain structures and processes of high interest for understanding the neuropathology of Gulf War illness. It includes in-depth analysis of the integrity of the corticostriatal circuit using high resolution diffusion imaging.
This study evaluates the degree to which genetic variants of the enzyme PON1 are associated with veterans’ vulnerability to long-term effects of neurotoxicant/cholinergic exposures during the Gulf War and their risk of developing Gulf War illness.
This study assesses changes in the major pituitary hormone systems in Gulf War veterans, including the growth hormone (GH) axis, gonadotropin axes, thyroid hormone axis, and HPA axis. The study will also determine if hormone changes are contributing to common Gulf War illness symptoms, such as severe fatigue, chronic pain, and attention and memory problems.
This project is evaluating neuroinflammatory processes and NMDA receptor functioning in Gulf War veterans to identify specific pathways that can be targeted for treatment. Biomarkers will be compared in healthy veterans and veterans with Gulf War illness.
This study investigates the degree to which genetic variability in the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) contributed to differences in long-term health outcomes in relation to exposures during the Gulf War. Gene-exposure interactions will be compared in four independent cohorts of 1990-91 Gulf War veterans.
This multi-institutional and multidisciplinary center provides resources and expertise to support impactful environmental health research in the Gulf Coast region. Community projects include development of a Military Exposures and Health resource for military personnel and veterans in the Gulf Coast region.
Research Team
