Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xiancheng Yu, Thuy-Tien Nguyen, Tianchi Wu, Mazdak Ghajari
Summary: This study investigated the difference in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cavitation between blasts and impacts, and proposed a mechanism explaining the lower negative pressure produced by blasts in the contrecoup CSF region. Experimental results and computational modeling validated this mechanism. These findings have significant implications for the prevention and diagnosis of blast-induced traumatic brain injury.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nicholas S. Race, Katharine D. Andrews, Elizabeth A. Lungwitz, Sasha M. Vega Alvarez, Timothy R. Warner, Glen Acosta, Jiayue Cao, Kun-han Lu, Zhongming Liu, Amy D. Dietrich, Sreeparna Majumdar, Anantha Shekhar, William A. Truitt, Riyi Shi
Summary: TBI is associated with increased risk for mental health disorders, and deficits in psychosocial processing may contribute to post-TBI mental health issues. A pre-clinical investigation using rats found that a single mild blast TBI induced impairment of psychosocial processing in the absence of other confounding factors, and this impairment may be related to acute upregulations of an oxidative stress metabolite.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Xiancheng Yu, Tianchi Wu, Thuy-Tien Ngoc Nguyen, Mazdak Ghajari
Summary: This study investigated the possibility and mechanism of blast induced CSF cavitation, finding that pressure waves through the skull and tissue were responsible for the generation and collapse of cavitation bubbles. The results suggested that CSF cavitation is likely to occur in the human head under blast loading, and that head length significantly affects CSF cavitation. These findings highlight the potential drawbacks of using small animals to study bTBI in the human head.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMPACT ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xiancheng Yu, Mazdak Ghajari
Summary: This paper comprehensively assessed the protective capabilities of advanced combat helmets and goggles against blast waves. The helmet was effective in mitigating positive intracranial pressure and strain rate in all blast scenarios, while goggles were effective in mitigating positive intracranial pressure in frontal and lateral blast exposures. However, both the helmet and goggles had minimal effects on reducing cerebrospinal fluid cavitation and even increased brain strain.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Neuroimaging
David F. Tate, Emily L. Dennis, John T. Adams, Maheen M. Adamson, Heather G. Belanger, Erin D. Bigler, Heather C. Bouchard, Alexandra L. Clark, Lisa M. Delano-Wood, Seth G. Disner, Blessen C. Eapen, Carol E. Franz, Elbert Geuze, Naomi J. Goodrich-Hunsaker, Kihwan Han, Jasmeet P. Hayes, Sidney R. Hinds, Cooper B. Hodges, Elizabeth S. Hovenden, Andrei Irimia, Kimbra Kenney, Inga K. Koerte, William S. Kremen, Harvey S. Levin, Hannah M. Lindsey, Rajendra A. Morey, Mary R. Newsome, John Ollinger, Mary Jo Pugh, Randall S. Scheibel, Martha E. Shenton, Danielle R. Sullivan, Brian A. Taylor, Maya Troyanskaya, Carmen Velez, Benjamin S. C. Wade, Xin Wang, Ashley L. Ware, Ross Zafonte, Paul M. Thompson, Elisabeth A. Wilde
Summary: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in military and civilian populations, leading to a range of clinical, cognitive, behavioral, mood, and neuroimaging changes. The inconsistent presentation of TBI poses challenges in establishing biological and imaging markers, although big data approaches offer opportunities to better understand its impact in military populations.
BRAIN IMAGING AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Lucy P. Evans, Ariel M. Roghair, Noah J. Gilkes, Alexander G. Bassuk
Summary: Studies have found that bTBI can cause persistent physical, cognitive, and psychological disorders, with current therapies not effectively alleviating these issues. The complexity of studying visual dysfunction after blast injury is complicated by variables such as injury location, severity, and head and body shielding. Certain pharmacologic treatments have been shown to alleviate visual deficits in post-bTBI animal models.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Caroline A. Browne, Hildegard A. Wulf, Moriah L. Jacobson, Mario G. Oyola, T. John Wu, Irwin Lucki
Summary: Neurobehavioral deficits can emerge in patients after a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and nearly half of them may experience these deficits for months. Ketamine, commonly used as an anesthetic/analgesic, may have beneficial effects on patients with a history of TBI, but caution should be exercised due to potential impairing effects. Studies on mice showed that sensitivity to ketamine increased in mice after TBI, suggesting caution should be taken when using ketamine in TBI patients.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Ashley N. Clausen, Heather C. Bouchard, Kathleen A. Welsh-Bohmer, Rajendra A. Morey
Summary: This study compared the chronic effects of combat-related blast mTBI and subconcussive blast exposure on neuropsychological performance in Veterans. Results showed that Veterans with combat-related blast mTBI exhibited significantly slower processing speed compared to controls, even after controlling for PTSD and depressive symptoms. However, there were no significant differences in cognition between subconcussive and control groups, or between subconcussive and combat-related blast mTBI groups, suggesting that neurocognitive assessment may not be sensitive enough to detect the long-term effects of subconcussive blast exposure.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Veronica Gomez Godinez, Vikash Morar, Christopher Carmona, Yingli Gu, Kijung Sung, Linda Z. Shi, Chengbiao Wu, Daryl Preece, Michael W. Berns
Summary: The study used laser-induced shockwaves and genetically encoded biosensors to investigate the response of cells, finding that both cortical neurons and Schwann cells exhibit a transient increase in Ca2+ regardless of extracellular Ca2+ conditions. This research method allows for simultaneous monitoring of the effects of shear stress on cells and cell damage and death in the vicinity.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Rebecca R. Schmitt, Kathiravan Kaliyappan, Vijaya Prakash Krishnan Muthaiah, Tracey A. Ignatowski, Paras N. Prasad, Supriya D. Mahajan
Summary: Disruption of the blood-brain barrier is crucial in the progression of traumatic brain injury, and further research into the mechanism is necessary for understanding TBI pathophysiology. Studying gene expression changes in HBMVEC can help elucidate the interaction between BBB pathophysiology and TBI.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Laura M. Anderson, Sridhar Samineni, Donna M. Wilder, Marisela Lara, Ondine Eken, Rodrigo Urioste, Joseph B. Long, Peethambaran Arun
Summary: The study found that meloxicam and buprenorphine demonstrated neuroprotective effects in a rat bTBI model, but also had negative impacts such as slowing recovery and causing short-term memory deficits. These results suggest that these pain relieving medications may not be ideal for pre-clinical studies evaluating neurobehavioral responses after TBI due to their varied effects on neurobehavioral functions.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Erin S. Kenzie, Elle L. Parks, Nancy Carney, Wayne Wakeland
Summary: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex phenomenon involving multiple systems. Researchers and clinicians need a rigorous conceptualization to understand TBI and consider individual differences in recovery. System dynamics is an effective approach to simulate nonlinear feedback dynamics in complex systems.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Yang Li, Kaijun Liu, Chang Li, Yu Guo, Jingqin Fang, Haipeng Tong, Yi Tang, Junfeng Zhang, Jinju Sun, Fangyang Jiao, Qianhui Zhang, Rongbing Jin, Kunlin Xiong, Xiao Chen
Summary: Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury patients often experience persistent neurological dysfunction without abnormal findings on conventional MRI. Advanced imaging techniques such as F-18-FDG PET and MR spectroscopy are crucial for detecting and understanding the pathophysiology of blast-induced mTBI. Combining F-18-FDG PET with MR spectroscopy can effectively evaluate acute and subacute metabolic cerebral alterations caused by this type of TBI.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Iain A. Rankin, Thuy-Tien Nguyen, Louise McMenemy, Jonathan C. Clasper, Spyros D. Masouros
Summary: This study explored the mechanisms leading to traumatic amputation caused by explosive devices, highlighting the impact of shock waves, energised projectiles, and blast wind. These findings are crucial for informing strategies aimed at mitigating such injuries.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Justin K. Zhang, Kathleen S. Botterbush, Kazimir Bagdady, Chi Hou Lei, Philippe Mercier, Tobias A. Mattei
Summary: This study provides an overview of thermobaric weapons and their potential to cause blast-related traumatic brain injury (bTBI). It also highlights the long-term cognitive and neuropsychiatric sequelae following bTBI and discusses diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitation strategies. The findings aim to guide mitigation strategies and humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
WORLD NEUROSURGERY
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
R. Mejia-Alvarez, B. Wilson, M. C. Leftwich, A. A. Martinez, K. P. Prestridge
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
B. M. Wilson, R. Mejia-Alvarez, K. P. Prestridge
JOURNAL OF FLUIDS ENGINEERING-TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASME
(2016)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Seung Jun Kim, Dusan Spernjak, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Vimal Vinayan, Joost Sterenborg, Arun Antony, Samuel Holmes, John Halkyard
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
S. Vidhate, A. M. Willis, R. Mejia-Alvarez
Summary: Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a major concern for service members in modern conflicts, but the mechanisms behind it are not fully understood. To address experimental challenges, a novel apparatus was developed to generate complex pressure profiles for biomedical applications, demonstrating versatility and controllability in generating custom pressure profiles for ex-vivo and in-vitro experiments.
EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Joseph Kerwin, Suhas Vidhate, Paul Sandherr, Evan Patton, Bianca Davila-Montero, Atacan Yucesoy, Adam Willis
Summary: This study presents the basic design and experimental characteristics of the advanced blast chamber at Michigan State University, which features a large cross-section and a driver design that produces blast fronts with low curvature and short overpressure durations.
MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Timothy Ohtake, John Foss
Summary: A ball levitated in a submerged jet will rotate substantially, with documented parameters for this behavior. The observation of stochastic levitation/rotation occurs for inclination angles between 43 and 83 degrees, and momentum flux-to-ball weight ratios between 2 and 7. Insight into the governing mechanics is provided through topological, control volume, and Newtonian second law considerations.
EXPERIMENTS IN FLUIDS
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Joseph Kerwin, Atacan Yuecesoy, Suhas Vidhate, Bianca M. Davila-Montero, Jacob L. Van Orman, Thomas J. Pence, Michaelann Tartis, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Adam M. Willis
Summary: This study aims to determine the injury mechanisms associated with blunt force impact events. Through drop tower experiments and computational models, the phenomenon of cavitation causing strain focusing in the depths of the sulci was observed, further providing evidence that mechanical interactions and fluid cavitation may play a role in the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Marc Joshua Silvosa, Nohemi Romo Mercado, Nikolas Merlock, Suhas Vidhate, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Tony T. Yuan, Adam M. Willis, Zane R. Lybrand
Summary: Blast exposure can cause traumatic brain injuries (TBI) of varying severity. In this study, cerebral organoids derived from human stem cells were exposed to different frequencies of pressure waves to characterize the neurophysiological response. The findings suggest that pressure waves during blast TBI have varying effects on neurophysiological activity, even without causing cellular damage.
JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA
(2022)
Letter
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Tushar Kailu, Melissa K. Cook, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Nikhil Mehta, David Chason, Adam M. Willis
JOURNAL OF VASCULAR AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Andrew K. Knutsen, Suhas Vidhate, Grace McIlvain, Josh Luster, Eric J. Galindo, Curtis L. Johnson, Dzung L. Pham, John A. Butman, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Michaelann Tartis, Adam M. Willis
Summary: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant health concern with a gap in understanding the relationship between impulsive loadings and injury patterns. This study introduces the ANGUS phantom, a synthetic model that mimics the human brain, and compares its response to data from human subjects. The results suggest that the ANGUS phantom is suitable for reproducing the brain's response to linear impulses but requires improvement for rotational impacts.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Anshul S. Tomar, Kristina M. Kamensky, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Aren M. Hellum, Ranjan Mukherjee
Summary: Bernoulli pads can generate normal force and shear force on objects without contact, and understanding the shear force is important for improving pad designs. Computational fluid dynamics and experiments validate the relationship between the fluid power and maximum shear stress, as well as the scaling relationship with the Reynolds number.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Suhas Vidhate, Atacan Yucesoy, Thomas J. Pence, Adam M. Willis, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez
Summary: Complicated stress wave patterns occur in systems composed of multiple materials and interfaces when subjected to impact or blast-like impulsive loads. Conventional testing systems have limitations in replicating such stress wave profiles, thus necessitating an experimental technique that can generate repeatable cycles of user-specified multifrequency stress waves. Researchers propose the concept of a multimaterial Hopkinson bar (MMHB) actuator, which replaces the incident bar of a conventional SHPB with multiple bars of different materials arranged in series and leverages the impedance mismatch at material interfaces to transform the incident stress pulse into a complex loading profile. The design parameters for the MMHB actuator, such as the materials and lengths of bar components, are adjusted through the coupling of numerical simulation and optimization algorithms to closely replicate the user-defined target loading profile.
JOURNAL OF MECHANICS OF MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Jacob Van Orman, Joseph Kerwin, Suhas Vidhate, Bianca Davila-Montero, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Daniel Perl, Adam Willis
Proceedings Paper
Thermodynamics
Dusan Spernjak, Robert Morgan, Ricardo Mejia Alvarez, John Bernardin, Stephan A. Ney
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ASME SUMMER HEAT TRANSFER CONFERENCE, 2017, VOL 1
(2017)