Kevlar Vest Protection Against Blast Overpressure Brain Injury: Systemic Contributions to Injury Etiology.

摘要

The etiology of blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is largely undefined. Along with reducing mortality, in preliminary experiments Kevlar vests significantly protected against bTBI in rats. We postulate that: 1) blast-induced fiber degeneration in brain results from pressure surges transmitted through the vasculature that elicit intracranial disruptions, and 2) Kevlar vests are neuroprotective by uncoupling this pressure transmission following exposure to blast. Using a compression driven shock tube, we compare external, systemic (e.g. vascular), and central (e.g. intracranial pressure) BOP-induced pressure changes, and assess the impact of Kevlar vests on these changes. We seek to: 1) determine if measured pressure changes are blast severity-dependent and correspond with outcome measures, and 2) assess the impact of Kevlar vests on measured BOP- induced pressure changes and outcome measures and establish whether a protective vest encasing the thorax ameliorates blast-induced brain injury, pointing to a contribution of the effects of blast on the thorax to brain injury. These studies will provide insights into the etiology of blast-induced brain injury and will advance the development of mitigation strategies.