FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 WHAT TYPES OF MEDICAL PROBLEMS ARE PERSIAN GULF VETERANS REPORTING?

  • A wide range of symptoms are being reported by Persian Gulf veterans since returning from the Persian Gulf. The most frequently reported symptoms are fatigue, muscle & joint pain, headache, difficulty concentrating, shortness of breath and skin rashes.

 WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THESE MEDICAL PROBLEMS?

  • Troops may have been exposed to a variety of potentially harmful situations and/or substances during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. A list of some of these follows. Exposure to one or more of these factors could be responsible for the symptoms of the Gulf War veteran.
  • Use of Pyridostigmine Bromide, a medication used to counteract the effects of possible nerve gas attacks. Exposure to pesticides that were used to control sand flies & scorpions. Exposure to depleted uranium in munitions. Exposure to smoke from oil well fires and to diesel fumes. Exposure to nerve gas Stress associated with combat and deployment in general.

 WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF THE NJ GULF WAR RESEARCH CENTER?

  • This Center concentrates on fatigue and chemical sensitivity in the Persian Gulf Veteran. The Director, Benjamin H. Natelson, MD is also Director of the NJ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Center, a federally funded center that studies CFS in civilians. Two Co-Investigators in the Gulf War Research Center are Howard Kipen, MD and Nancy Fiedler, PhD, both of whom are involved with federally funded research on health and chemical sensitivities.

 WHAT PROJECTS ARE BEING DONE AT THE NJ GULF WAR RESEARCH CENTER?

    Veterans can participate in the following projects:

  1. Health & Exposure Survey of Persian Gulf Veterans An 18 page questionnaire was sent to thousands of veterans in the eastern part of the United States. The purpose of this survey was to gather information about veterans' health and exposures before, during, and after the Gulf War. Sixty percent of the veterans who received the questionnaires completed and returned them. These data are now being analyzed and will hopefully help us to put together a picture of what the "Gulf ‘War Syndrome" is and what may have caused it.
  2. Physiological & Psychological Assessments of Persian Gulf Veterans Subjects for this study are selected based on the answers they give in our screening questionnaire, which asks them about their past and current health status. We look for veterans who have developed problems with fatigue and/or chemical sensitivity since returning from the Gulf War, and also for veterans who have remained well. Selected veterans are invited to come to the DVA NJ Health Care System - East Orange, NJ Campus for a completed medical history, a physical exam, blood tests and a psychological interview. Then the veteran may have some or all of the following tests:
    • Caffeine Breath Test: Specially labeled caffeine is ingested and breath samples are taken to see if there are changes in the liver due to exposures to certain toxic agents.
    • Neuropsychological Tests: A battery of tests is administered to evaluate memory and concentration.
    • Cardiovascular Evaluation Tests: These tests monitor how the body (in particular, the heart and lungs) responds to some common behavioral and mental tasks and other types of stimuli.
    • Sensory tests: Thin nylon filaments and warmth from a light beam are used to measure skin sensory threshold, which is a function of the peripheral nervous system.
    • Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A magnetic field and radio waves are used to look for structural abnormalities in brain tissue.
    • Viral/Immunological Testing: Blood samples are sent to special laboratories to check for evidence of viral exposure and for evidence of immune system activation.
    • Eye Blink Test: This type of neurological test monitors eye blinks in response to light air puffs to the eye. It is one way to measure the brain's ability to learn.
  3. Effects of Exertion & Chemical Stress on Persian Gulf Veterans In the first part of this project, responses to a controlled low-level exposure to diesel fumes is monitored. The level of exposure is similar to what would be experienced while working around diesel powered equipment typically used in the Armed Forces. This study takes places in a Controlled Environmental Facility located at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI) in Piscataway, NJ. This facility provides carefully filtered air so that in the control state almost no impurities are present. Throughout the exposure, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure and symptoms are monitored continuously.
  4. The second part of this project is to examine the effect of exercise on the nervous system, heart, muscles and lungs. Participants are asked to perform a series of problem solving and physical tests, before, during and after an exercise stress test on a laboratory bike. This study takes place in the Human Performance Laboratory at the DVA NJ Health Care System East Orange Campus.

 HOW DOES A GULF VETERAN BECOME A RESEARCH PARTICIPANT AT THE CENTER?

  • The NJ Gulf War Research Center recruits both symptomatic and healthy Gulf War veterans for participation in their studies. In addition, we seek veterans who were in the armed services during the Gulf War era, but were NOT deployed to the Persian Gulf.
  • Interested veterans can write to :
  • The NJ Gulf War Research Center
    #127B DVA NJ Health Care System
    East Orange Campus
    385 Tremont Avenue East Orange, NJ 07018-1095