Around 13,000 9/11 Responders Are In Stony Brook Wellness Study

STONY BROOK, NY —Stony Brook’s World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program is still monitoring around 13,000 first responders, university officials say.

There are ongoing assessments of the 9/11 responder population’s mental health and cognitive status, which remains “on the forefront of research,” according to the institution.

Research has found some responders may be have experienced cognitive difficulties earlier in life than the general population, and that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, one of the most common ailments, may have be associated with cognitive problems and/or physical illnesses, the institution said.

A compilation of new research published over the past year suggests "the need to delve further into investigating the brain status of responders and their cognitive problems,” Stony Brook says.

The Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology’s study has assessed more than 700 responders, many with chronic PTSD, and the relationship between having cortical atrophy and behavioral impairments, according to the institution.

Researchers are finding that individuals with PTSD start to experience more mental health symptoms as a secondary symptom to cognitive impairments, according to the study.

Responders with an increased risk of cortical atrophy showed behavioral impairment in motivation, mood, disinhibition, empathy, and psychosis, the study shows.

For more information:

– Molecular Neurobiology
– Psychological Medicine
– Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring