Science & Medicine: Sleep disorders in the military are complex, common, and treatable
Texas Public Radio
Jan 04, 2026
UT Health San Antonio Director of Sleep Medicine and STRONG STAR investigator Vincent Mysliwiec, MD, FAASM, speaks with Texas Public Radio’s Bonnie Petrie in a recent episode of the “Petrie Dish” to discuss sleep disorders in the military. He says that with the rigorous demands of military life, service members often sleep fewer than six hours a night. Beyond that, disordered sleep has skyrocketed in the military since 2005, with a 45-fold increase in insomnia and 30-fold increase in obstructive sleep apnea. The most common sleep disorder now in both military men and women is the comorbidity of these two conditions, called COMISA. For military readiness and good quality of life, Dr. Mysliwiec says it’s important for those with sleep problems to get a comprehensive evaluation, proper diagnosis and treatment to prevent the cascade of potential physical and psychological health problems that can increase with disordered sleep.
San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference Oct. 20-21 offers latest science in treating psychological wounds of war
UT Health San Antonio Newsroom
Oct 16, 2025
Military City USA will welcome hundreds of researchers, clinicians, military leaders and policymakers Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 20-21, for the San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. They’ll gather at the Westin Riverwalk to discuss the latest advances in caring for those with the psychological wounds of war and how to lead more affected service members and veterans to recovery.
Hosted by the STRONG STAR Consortium and UT Health San Antonio, the health enterprise of The University of Texas at San Antonio, the annual gathering started 10 years ago as a way to share the state of the science on post-traumatic stress disorder and co-occurring conditions affecting our war fighters. Today it is recognized as the premier scientific gathering on the topic of military psychological health.
Each year, the conference attracts an international audience of professionals from within the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as from academic institutions and the civilian sector. Numerous military personnel, veterans and community members with an interest in military psychology also join the proceedings, as do students and professional trainees.
“This year’s conference has so much to offer,” said Alan Peterson, PhD, director of the STRONG STAR Consortium and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the UT San Antonio Long School of Medicine. “We’ll report on the promise of innovative new and complementary treatments, offer practical tips and advice on the delivery of evidence-based therapies, and share personal stories and professional camaraderie that inspire us in our work.”
Sure to inspire is Monday’s “Profiles and Resilience” keynote by Benjamin Hall. After sustaining traumatic injuries while covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Fox News correspondent eventually was flown to and treated at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and went through a long recovery involving more than 30 surgeries. He will discuss his harrowing experience and the factors that contributed to his resolve in overcoming the psychological aftermath of trauma.
Afterwards, conference attendees will hear from retired Army colonel and orthopaedic surgeon Joseph Alderete Jr., MD, of UT Health San Antonio and other members of Hall’s stellar BAMC care team. They will discuss from an interdisciplinary perspective how incorporating psychological resiliency into patient care can be a force multiplier.
Preview program, register now for 2025 San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference
UT Health San Antonio
Aug 05, 2025
Now is the time to secure your seats for the 10th Annual San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference, to be held Oct. 20-21, at The Westin Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The conference has opened registration and shared a preview of its compelling program on its website. While this year’s venue offers expanded seating capacity, organizers emphasize the importance of early registration for this popular, one-of-a-kind event.
The San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference is sponsored by the STRONG STAR Consortium and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio). Recognized as the premier scientific gathering on the topic of military psychological health, the annual event shares the state of the science on the prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and commonly co-occurring conditions that affect military service members and veterans.
CRDAMC, STRONG STAR Consortium lead the fight against combat-related PTSD
Defense Health Agency
Jun 10, 2025
FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — For soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center and the STRONG STAR program provides access to the latest, most innovative care available for the treatment of this common warfighting mental health condition.
STRONG STAR consortium leads fight against combat-related PTSD
Fort Hood Sentinel
Jun 05, 2025
During PTSD Awareness Month, this article in the Fort Hood Sentinel highlights the longstanding collaboration between the STRONG STAR Consortium and the C.R. Darnall Army Medical Center (CRDAMC) at Fort Hood to advance the care and treatment of service members with PTSD and other psychological health issues.
“The STRONG STAR team’s aim is to improve the effectiveness, as well as applicability, of existing treatment methods for our warfighters, to ensure that they not only get better care now, but also reap benefits in the future as a direct result of these studies,” noted Col. Amit Gupta, CRDAMC and Fort Hood director of psychological health, about the integration of cutting-edge science into daily clinical practice at Fort Hood. “We are fortunate to have this collaboration with a top-notch team that clearly cares about taking care of our Soldiers and families.”
Fort Hood is currently hosting several ongoing or newly funded clinical treatment trials through STRONG STAR, many of which offer service members and veterans access to leading-edge assessments and therapies not currently available at other military facilities.
Posttraumatic stress disorder and tinnitus – that constant ringing, buzzing, or whooshing sound in the ears – seem so different, but they often occur together and cause similar psychological distress. For this episode of “Science & Medicine,” Texas Public Radio’s Bonnie Petrie speaks with John Moring, PhD, about his research efforts with STRONG STAR to better understand the relationship between these two conditions and how best to help patients alleviate symptoms and reduce related distress. Dr. Moring, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UT Health San Antonio, also shares how his personal experience with tinnitus inspires his work.
Why it’s never too late to seek help for combating PTSD
KSAT-12 News
Apr 30, 2025
In preparation for its one-hour news special on the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon that aired April 16, KSAT-12 News attended STRONG STAR and UT Health San Antonio’s 9th Annual San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference to learn more about the psychological health issues impacting veterans. In this news story that aired separately on April 30, the anniversary date, Craig Bryan, PsyD, of The Ohio State University speaks about the hope for healing from psychological wounds of war and why it’s never too late to seek help.
The obstacles that can interfere with PTSD healing
KSAT-12 News
Apr 30, 2025
In preparation for its one-hour news special on the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon that aired April 16, KSAT-12 News attended STRONG STAR and UT Health San Antonio’s 9th Annual San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference to learn more about the psychological health issues impacting veterans. In this news story that aired separately on April 30, the anniversary date, KSAT features an interview with Brittany Hall-Clark, PhD. She discusses how, in finding a path to recovery, it is important to understand obstacles that can get in the way of healing, including how those obstacles can differ for people of different races and cultures.
The future of healing from combat PTSD, with the help of artificial intelligence
KSAT-12 News Special: "50 Years After the Fall: From Saigon to San Antonio"
Apr 16, 2025
This article is part of KSAT’s special, “50 Years After The Fall: From Saigon to San Antonio,” highlighting how the war in Vietnam affected veterans in the Alamo City and South Texas. In preparation for this special, KSAT journalists attended part of the 9th Annual San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference presented in October 2024 by the STRONG STAR Consortium and UT Health San Antonio to learn about the latest advances in treating combat-related PTSD and other military psychological health conditions. In this interview, Philip Held, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center, one of the conference presenters, explains how an AI tool called “Socrates 2.0” assists in PTSD therapy.
‘I needed help’: San Antonio study to use ecstasy for active-duty military members battling PTSD
KSAT-12 News
Mar 24, 2025
The stage is being set for a San Antonio research team to use MDMA, also known as ecstasy, in its study to help active-duty military members with post-traumatic stress disorder.
MDMA has been used in trials before and has some record of success. This study, specifically requested by Congress, would be more robust.
