@article{91a1665db2b9421c8d8aae1f4e55aa15,
title = "Blast exposure predisposes the brain to increased neurological deficits in a model of blast plus blunt traumatic brain injury",
abstract = "Soldiers are often exposed to more than one traumatic brain injury (TBI) over the course of their service. In recent years, more attention has been drawn to the increased risk of neurological deficits caused by the {\textquoteleft}blast plus{\textquoteright} polytrauma, which typically is a blast trauma combined with other forms of TBI. In this study, we investigated the behavioral and neuronal deficits resulting from a blast plus injury involving a mild-moderate blast followed by a mild blunt trauma using the fluid percussion injury model. We identified that the blast injury predisposed the brain to increased cognitive deficits, chronic ventricular enlargement, increased neurodegeneration at acute time points and chronic neuronal loss. Interestingly, a single blast and single blunt injury differed in their onset and manifestation of cognitive and regional neuronal loss. We also identified the presence of cleaved RIP1 from caspase 8 mediated apoptosis in the blunt injury while the blast injury did not activate immediate apoptosis but led to decreased hilar neuronal survival over time.",
keywords = "Blast TBI, Blast plus injury, Cognitive deficits, Fluid percussion injury, Motor deficits, Neurodegeneration, Neuronal loss, RIP1, Ventricular enlargement",
author = "Aswati Aravind and Julianna Kosty and Namas Chandra and Pfister, {Bryan J.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was funded by New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research [grant no. CBIR16PIL021 ] and U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command [grant no. 14059001 , W81XWH-15-1-0303 ]. The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Kevin Pang (Veterans Admin. Medical Center, Rutgers University) for his valuable insights and guidance in setting up the behavioral experiments and in statistical analysis. We thank Dr. James Haorah (New Jersey Institute of Technology) for use of the fluid percussion injury device. We also thank Matthew Long, Eren Alay, Jose Rodriguez, Xiaotang Ma and Mike Dolegiewitz for their assistance in performing blast and blunt injuries. Funding Information: This work was funded by New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research [grant no. CBIR16PIL021] and U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command [grant no. 14059001, W81XWH-15-1-0303]. The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Kevin Pang (Veterans Admin. Medical Center, Rutgers University) for his valuable insights and guidance in setting up the behavioral experiments and in statistical analysis. We thank Dr. James Haorah (New Jersey Institute of Technology) for use of the fluid percussion injury device. We also thank Matthew Long, Eren Alay, Jose Rodriguez, Xiaotang Ma and Mike Dolegiewitz for their assistance in performing blast and blunt injuries. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier Inc.",
year = "2020",
month = oct,
doi = "10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113378",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "332",
journal = "Neurodegeneration",
issn = "0014-4886",
publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",
}