Nanometer ultrastructural brain damage following low intensity primary blast wave exposure

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 13; no. 9; pp. 1516 - 1519
• Main Authors: Song, Hailong, Konan, Landry, Cui, Jiankun, Johnson, Catherine, Hubler, Graham, DePalma, Ralph, Gu, Zezong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.09.2018; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, USA%Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, USA; Truman VA Hospital Research Service, Columbia, MO, USA%Department of Mining and Nuclear Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, USA%Office of Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, USA; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Bioenergetics; Blast effect; Brain damage; Brain research; Energy; Injuries; Investigations; Microscopy; mild traumatic brain injury; open-field blast; primary blast wave; blast physics; animal model; ultrastructural abnormalities; behavior; Military personnel; Neuropathology; Occupational health and safety; Pathogenesis; Physics; Post traumatic stress disorder; Review; Traumatic brain injury; primary blast wave; blast physics; open-field blast; animal model; behavior; ultrastructural abnormalities; mild traumatic brain injury
• ISSN: 1673-5374; 1876-7958
• DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.237110

Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is of particular concern among military personnel due to exposure to blast energy during military training and combat. The impact of primary low-intensity blast mediated pathophysiology upon later neurobehavioral disorders has been controversial. Developing a military preclinical blast model to simulate the pathophysiology of human blast injury is an important first step. This article provides an overview of primary blast effects and perspectives of our recent studies demonstrating ultrastructural changes in the brain and behavioral disorders resulting from open-field blast exposures up to 46.6 kPa using a murine model. The model is scalable and permits exposure to varying magnitudes of primary blast injuries by placing animals at different distances from the blast center or by changing the amount of C4 charge. We here review the implications and future applications and directions of using this animal model to uncover the underlying mechanisms related to primary blast injury. Overall, these studies offer the prospect of enhanced understanding of the pathogenesis of primary low-intensity blast-induced TBI and insights for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of blast induced TBI, particularly mTBI/concussion related to current combat exposures.