Brain Vulnerability to Repeated Blast Overpressure and Polytrauma.

摘要

It is likely that the mild TBI and cognitive impairments observed among many of the troops returning from OIF and OEF result from repeated exposures to blast overpressure. Although the clinical symptoms of concussion are typically transient, there is both a cumulative risk for persistent damage due to repeated concussions, and a post-concussion period of greatest vulnerability to a second impact. Specific risk assessments and guidelines should be established for exposure to blast overpressure. We are using a preclinical model of blast overpressure in rats to investigate the cumulative effects of multiple blast exposures on neurologic status, neurobehavioral function, and brain histopathological endpoints. Repeated exposures to blast overpressure with varied inter-blast intervals are used to characterize and define the temporal window of brain vulnerability to repeated blast overpressure. We anticipate that these data will provide a critical first step in establishing rational risk guidelines and developing mitigation strategies.