U.S. Army Studying How Blast Pressure Affects Brains

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory has a partner in this work -- the Japanese Ministry of Defense. On Dec. 19, 2016, Japanese medical researchers visited Maryland for an update on the work.

Researchers for the U.S. Army researchers are studying the effects of blast pressure on the brain, working to develop better protection for soldiers, and as part of their work scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, Md., have developed a gel substance with fluorescent properties that mimics the texture and mass of the human brain, David McNally of the laboratory's public affairs reported.

His article quoted Dr. Shashi P. Karna, described as an ARL nanofunctional materials senior research scientist, saying they are trying to understand damage that occurs at the cellular level: "We have nanomaterials that are highly robust so that in real time when the blast occurs it will be possible to image the effects like an MRI, but with fluorescence. Colors will show the motion of the cells."

The laboratory has a partner in this research work -- the Japanese Ministry of Defense. On Dec. 19, 2016, Japanese medical researchers visited Maryland for an update on the work. Karna says in the article that the Japanese team will test the Army's samples with a laser-induced shockwave and share the results of their experiment.