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Force created by an explosion causes similar effects as repeatedconcussions in athletes, study finds. WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- The same type of brain damageseen in athletes who suffer repeated concussions also occurs insoldiers exposed to large blasts, new research indicates. In the study, researchers at Boston University and the VeteransAffairs Boston Healthcare System analyzed brain tissue from fourU.S. military personnel who were known to have been close toexplosions. The results, published online May 16 in Science Translational Medicine , showed that exposure to a single blast -- equivalent to the forcefrom a typical improvised explosive device (IED) -- results inchronic traumatic encephalopathy and long-term brain impairmentsassociated with the condition. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive brain disorder thatcan only be diagnosed after death, has been reported in athleteswith multiple concussions. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy andtraumatic brain injury share common features, including psychiatricsymptoms and long-term memory and learning problems. Traumatic brain injury can occur in people exposed to blasts andmay affect about 20 percent of the 2.3 million U.S. militarypersonnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, according tothe researchers. The investigators also concluded that the blast wind, not the shockwave, from an IED explosion leads to traumatic brain injury andlong-term consequences such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Explosions lead to dramatic changes in pressure in the air aroundthe blast. In addition to injuries caused by debris and shrapnel,the blast forces themselves can lead to devastating injuries. A shock wave occurs right after an explosion, when the air aroundthe explosion becomes overpressurized; a blast wind follows theshock wave, when the air around the explosion gets sucked back into fill the void created by the blast. A blast wind can reach avelocity of up to 330 miles per hour. "The force of the blast wind causes the head to move so forcefullythat it can result in damage to the brain," study co-leader Dr. LeeGoldstein, an associate professor at Boston University School ofMedicine and Boston University College of Engineering, said in auniversity news release. The researchers also found that immobilizing the head during blastexposure can prevent the learning and memory deficits associatedwith chronic traumatic encephalopathy. "Our study provides compelling evidence that blast TBI [traumaticbrain injury] and CTE [chronic traumatic encephalopathy] arestructural brain disorders that can emerge as a result of braininjury on the battlefield or playing field," Goldstein said. "Nowthat we have identified the mechanism responsible for CTE, we canwork on developing ways to prevent it so that we can protectathletes and our military service personnel." More information The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokehas more about traumatic brain injury. SOURCE: Boston University Medical Center, news release, May 16,2012 Copyright © 2012 HealthDay . All rights reserved. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Hydraulic Pressure Valve Manufacturer , Piston Pump Parts Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Sauer Pumps.
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