As Veterans Day brings attention to the mental health challenges faced by service members, a Marine-turned-psychologist is highlighting how new brain imaging technology could revolutionize how veterans and their doctors comprehend trauma. This development comes as the military continues to address the gap between visible and invisible injuries, with many veterans still struggling with PTSD and related issues.
Dr. Amber Deckard, Psy.D., NPT-C, and Director of Neuro-Psychological Services at Caron Treatment Centers, is at the forefront of this innovation. A former Marine who served from 2003 to 2007, Deckard employs advanced neuroimaging and data-driven assessments to help veterans understand and heal from brain injuries that remain undetectable through more conventional methods.
‘Stigma remains one of the biggest barriers,’ Deckard explained. ‘Many fear that seeking care shows weakness, or that they could lose benefits they’ve already earned.’
The program integrates quantitative EEGs, PET scans, and neurocognitive testing to map how trauma, concussions, or substance use affect brain activity, providing ‘objective evidence’ of invisible injuries. Deckard emphasizes that this approach moves beyond subjective diagnoses, allowing for measurable improvements in symptoms over time.
According to War Department data, roughly 60% of service members who experience mental health problems never seek help. In 2022, there were 6,407 suicides among U.S. veterans, a rate that stands at 34.7 per 100,000, nearly double the rate among non-veteran adults.
Deckard’s patients often grapple with PTSD and substance-use disorders linked to repeated concussions or other physical trauma. Each undergoes a comprehensive assessment, combining brain imaging, cognitive testing, a QEEG brain map, and a full medical and psychiatric workup.
‘It allows us to get an in-depth, multi-point, objective look at what’s driving their symptoms,’ Deckard said. From there, patients can receive neurorestorative care, including therapies like hyperbaric oxygen treatment, alpha-stimulation electrotherapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) that help retrain the brain.
‘When individuals have engaged in neurorestorative care, we’ve seen significant improvements across multiple domains,’ she said. ‘Better blood flow, stronger electrical activity, sharper memory, less depression — measurable gains that give them hope.’
Despite the potential of this technology, its adoption across the VA system remains limited due to varying access and resources. Deckard hopes this will change. ‘We’re not reinventing the wheel,’ she said. ‘All these tools exist. The challenge is integrating them in one place.’
For her, the larger message this Veterans Day is not about technology itself, but about proof. Proof that invisible wounds are real, and that recovery is possible.
‘When they return home, they’re still warriors,’ Deckard said. ‘We just have to give them the tools to fight for their own healing.’