LOS ANGELES: Blasts from explosives have long been known to cause mild traumatic brain injury in combat veterans, but a new study by Seattle experts sheds light on how — and where — lasting harm may occur.
Using brain scans from dozens of former soldiers, plus similar research in mice, scientists at the University of Washington and the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System have identified the cerebellum — the area of the brain critical for coordinating movement, balance and certain cognitive skills — as particularly vulnerable to repeated blasts.
The findings could prompt studies into ways to prevent and treat mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI, which has been called the “signature injury” of recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. An estimated 250,000 and 500,000 members of the U.S. military have been diagnosed with mTBIs across the globe…