Lawrence Livermore researchers recently published a study about how shock waves will cause damage the membrane proteins for a patient suffering from brain injury. These shock wave TBIs have become common with improvised explosive devices that we have seen used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Experts estimate that around 230,000 military veterans have suffered from TBI between 2001 to 2014.
The problem is that we do not deeply understand how this takes place. Researchers are not sure how exposure to the blast from explosives can cause a brain injury, but the scientists at Livermore have started to demonstrate how it takes place through molecular dynamic simulation. Max Berkowitz, Eric Schwegler and Ed Lau discovered that shock waves cannot enter …show more content…
As this happens, it ultimately leads to the death of neurons, which is going to cause brain injury. The imbalance in ions has played a major role in how cellular damage takes place when it comes to TBI.
When ion channel dysfunction happens, it can lead to cystic fibrosis, epilepsy and irregular heartbeats. Researchers looked at molecular simulations, and they found that a membrane can heal itself. While the shock wave itself does not cause a noticeable amount of damage, it is the bubble collapse within the membrane that have a huge impact. Unlike the membrane, ion channels do not have the chance for self-healing at as rapid of a pace, which means that it can be much worse. You can find this research published in biophysical journal.
While this damage goes unseen, it can penetrate deeply into the psyche of our military soldiers. When it comes to these explosions, soldiers have described the thump in the center of their chest as one of the hallmark characteristics of a blast. You might be hundreds or even thousands of feet away from the explosion, but you can still feel that thump. The mystery of that thump confused soldiers as far back as WWII, but today, it has become a centerpiece for studying how these blasts have an impact on the human brain. Most of the soldiers who have suffered TBI in Iraq and Afghanistan have received the injury from
The problem is that we do not deeply understand how this takes place. Researchers are not sure how exposure to the blast from explosives can cause a brain injury, but the scientists at Livermore have started to demonstrate how it takes place through molecular dynamic simulation. Max Berkowitz, Eric Schwegler and Ed Lau discovered that shock waves cannot enter …show more content…
As this happens, it ultimately leads to the death of neurons, which is going to cause brain injury. The imbalance in ions has played a major role in how cellular damage takes place when it comes to TBI.
When ion channel dysfunction happens, it can lead to cystic fibrosis, epilepsy and irregular heartbeats. Researchers looked at molecular simulations, and they found that a membrane can heal itself. While the shock wave itself does not cause a noticeable amount of damage, it is the bubble collapse within the membrane that have a huge impact. Unlike the membrane, ion channels do not have the chance for self-healing at as rapid of a pace, which means that it can be much worse. You can find this research published in biophysical journal.
While this damage goes unseen, it can penetrate deeply into the psyche of our military soldiers. When it comes to these explosions, soldiers have described the thump in the center of their chest as one of the hallmark characteristics of a blast. You might be hundreds or even thousands of feet away from the explosion, but you can still feel that thump. The mystery of that thump confused soldiers as far back as WWII, but today, it has become a centerpiece for studying how these blasts have an impact on the human brain. Most of the soldiers who have suffered TBI in Iraq and Afghanistan have received the injury from