Distinct and dementia-related synaptopathy in the hippocampus after military blast exposures.

Explosive shockwaves, and other types of blast exposures, are linked to injuries commonly associated with military service and to an increased risk for the onset of dementia. Neurological complications following a blast injury, including depression, anxiety, and memory problems, often persist even when brain damage is undetectable. Here, hippocampal explants were exposed to the explosive 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX) to identify indicators of blast-induced changes within important neuronal circuitries.

Military blast-induced synaptic changes with distinct vulnerability may explain behavioral alterations in the absence of obvious brain damage.

Sadly many military veterans, who left home to serve their country honorably, return from service with permanent life-changing injuries. It is easy to remember our debt to those who have incurred such visible injuries, and all too easy to forget the invisible wounds that afflict so many of our military servicemen and women. Brain injuries can be invisible during initial medical evaluations and are often caused by military explosives that create blast shockwaves of varying intensity.