There’s a lot of research out there about neurological diseases, like head trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, but much of it is departmentalized and the right hand often doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, according to retired Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli.
Chiarelli discussed this issue as a keynote speaker at the Advances in Warrior Care Research Symposium on Monday, Oct. 29. He wants to fix the communication breakdown and develop a strong research base for further strides in this field, both in diagnosing diseases and in pharmaceutical advances.
“It is a system that is absolutely horrible,” Chiarelli said. “We need everyone to share your data. Right now, researchers are ‘stovepiped’ and don’t know what is going on in other areas.”
The complex nature of these diseases and our profit-based health care system impede research on basic neurological issues, Chiarelli said. Many companies simply don’t want to spend the money, if they’re not sure they can make that money back, he said.
Scientists suspect many neurological disorders are linked in many ways, but due to the lack of overall research that could connect the dots, we simply do not know for sure, according to Chiarelli.
He is championing the One Mind for Research program to try to connect the dots.
One Mind for Research is working to develop a network that will allow researchers to network, collect and share their data. Instead of everyone working to “invent the wheel” on their own, the idea is to bring all the scientists together to provide their individual piece of a very complex puzzle.
“These are huge issues,” Chiarelli said. “Why are we not taking advantage of technology and letting it crunch this data?”
One Mind for Research isn’t just talking about the idea, though; the program is working to raise $500 million annually to support the network and researchers involved in it.
While the applications of the program are obvious to military medicine, as head trauma and post-traumatic stress are serious issues in war, the impacts could go far beyond that, according to Chiarelli. This research could lead to breakthroughs in many mental disorders, from Alzheimer’s and anxiety to addiction and Parkinson ’s disease.
“I’m taking on the drug companies, the government and academia here working to change the way that they have been doing things,” he said. “We’ve got ourselves into the situation where this is accepted behavior.”
Chiarelli believes a new mindset will save lives. “I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve seen in reports of those who have committed suicide, ‘This individual is no danger to himself or others’ only weeks before.”