Although blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is well recognized for its significance in the military population, the unique mechanisms of primary bTBI remain undefined. Animate models of primary bTBI are critical for determining these potentially unique mechanisms, but the biomechanical characteristics of many bTBI models are poorly understood. In this study, we examine some common shoc...

Combat blast is an important cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the Department of Veterans Affairs polytrauma population, whereas common causes of TBI in the civilian sector include motor vehicle accidents and falls. Known visual consequences of civilian TBI include compromised visual acuity, visual fields, and oculomotor function. The visual consequences of TBI related to blast remain la...

Veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder were evaluated for a history of blast concussion, controlling for confounding conditions. Electroencephalograms were analyzed by discriminant function for traumatic brain injury. A difference was found in discriminant scores between veterans with and without blast concussion. More members of the blast group had attentional symptoms and attenti...

BACKGROUND : Injuries from combat and terrorist explosions are increasing worldwide. As such, physicians can expect to treat more patients with complex and unique patterns of injury produced not only by fragments and blunt trauma, but also by high-pressure air expanding from the detonation center. DISCUSSION : Tissue damage from the blast wave or primary blast injury can be an important cause...

Exposure to a blast wave has been proposed to cause mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), with symptoms including altered cognition, memory, and behavior. This idea, however, remains controversial, and the mechanisms of blast-induced brain injury remain unknown. To begin to resolve these questions, we constructed a simple compressed air shock tube, placed rats inside the tube, and exposed them to...

Military personnel are at high risk of exposure to blasts during military service, both during combat and training. Evidence continues to build that supports exposure to blasts, particularly when repetitive, are associated with brain dysfunction which is usually transient but can be prolonged or permanent. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a consequence to repetitive brain injury noted in...

OBJECTIVES The present retrospective study was performed to determine the incidence and outcome of primary blast injury and to identify possible changes over the course of the conflicts between 2003 and 2006. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA Combat physicians treating patients injured in overseas contingency operations observed an increase in the severity of explosion injuries occurring during this pe...

BACKGROUND Blast-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of injury in the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. How the primary blast wave affects the brain is not well understood. The aim of the present study was to examine whether blast exposure affects the cerebral vasculature in a rodent model. We analyzed the brains of rats exposed to single or multiple (three) 74.5 k...

Traumatic brain injury sustained after blast exposure (blast-induced TBI) has recently been documented as a growing issue for military personnel. Incidence of injury to organs such as the lungs has decreased, though current epidemiology still causes a great public health burden. In addition, unprotected civilians sustain primary blast lung injury (PBLI) at alarming rates. Often, mild-to-moderat...

Physiological alterations, anxiety, and cognitive disorders are strongly associated with blast-induced traumatic brain injury (blast TBI), and are common symptoms in service personnel exposed to blasts. Since 2006, 25,000-30,000 new TBI cases are diagnosed annually in U.S. Service members; increasing evidence confirms that primary blast exposure causes diffuse axonal injury and is often accompa...