Our James R. Stone, MD, and collaborators have received $8 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to find better ways to prevent traumatic brain injury, or TBI, in military personnel exposed to blast shock waves.
Dr. Stone, a radiologist, is part of a research team that includes the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Utah. The researchers will examine the role of brain inflammation in traumatic brain injury following blast exposures.
The team is seeking to understand the role of brain inflammation in TBI, as well as how prior blast exposures affect brain inflammation. This will help them identify potential treatment options and find ways to stop brain inflammation and TBI.
"I am excited to be part of this team effort to develop the knowledge needed to protect the brains of service members against the effects of repeated low-level blast exposures," Dr. Stone said. "Using advanced brain imaging to directly visualize inflammation along with blood sampling, we hope to develop a better understanding of how the brain and immune system react to blast exposures."