{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,23]],"date-time":"2025-10-23T08:29:34Z","timestamp":1761208174722,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,23]],"date-time":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761177600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Gulf War Veterans (GWVs) presenting with irritable bowel syndrome-diarrhea (IBS-D) often exhibit concurrent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI). All Veterans\u2019 Affair physicians are required to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation by maintaining yearly training. In a previous study for IBS-D (3), we identified significant vitamin D deficiency (VDD), with an average level of 19 ng\/mL. This includes those with and without PTSD, TBI, showing depression and anxiety symptoms. Since VDD is associated with PTSD, and all veterans not on supplementation were found to be VDD (&gt;90%) at our facility, we investigated a possible association between VDD and these neuropsychological conditions. While age and body mass index (BMI), seasons, and demographic locations are known to affect vitamin D levels, we found no correlation between these factors and VDD in the PTSD group and those with IBS-D. In the TBI group, VDD did correlate with BMI. Multiple deployments appeared to have a minor negative effect on vitamin D levels (a 11\u201313% contribution) in veterans with either PTSD or TBI. Although these veterans showed signs of inflammation with elevated minor C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (4.7 mg\/L), there was a negative correlation between CRP and vitamin D to suggest that inflammation is not the primary cause of PTSD or TBI. Following daily vitamin D treatment, vitamin D levels returned to a normal average of 30 ng\/mL (less than 30 ng\/mL is abnormal). Treatment had no effect on serum calcium levels, but did lead to a resolution of depression, anxiety, TBI, and PTSD symptoms in the majority of patients. These findings suggest that correcting VDD in GWVs visiting GI clinics with co-occurring PTSD and TBI had reduced psychological symptoms. Replacing vitamin D is a simple strategy to implement, rather than increasing neurotrophic medications in some patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci15111135","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,23]],"date-time":"2025-10-23T08:14:04Z","timestamp":1761207244000},"page":"1135","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Correction of Vitamin D Deficiency Improves PTSD Symptoms in Gulf War Veterans"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Chandrasekhar","family":"Kesavan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA 92357, USA"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA"},{"name":"Musculoskeletal Disease Center, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA 92357, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Donna D.","family":"Strong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Musculoskeletal Disease Center, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA 92357, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Richard M.","family":"Strong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA 92357, USA"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e13533","DOI":"10.1111\/nmo.13533","article-title":"Risk factors for upper and lower functional gastrointestinal disorders in Persian Gulf War Veterans during and post-deployment","volume":"31","author":"Tuteja","year":"2019","journal-title":"Neurogastroenterol. 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