Computational Modeling of Blast Induced Traumatic Brain Injury in an Animal Model
Abstract
Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a growing concern for the military. Repeated low-level blast exposure has been shown to lead to persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms in some service members. While the exact cause of these symptoms is not yet well understood, there is increasing evidence that blast exposure may cause structural changes to the brain tissue at the cellular and sub-cellular level. Current non-invasive diagnostic tools cannot detect these microstructural changes to the brain, making it a challenge to assess the relationship between blast exposure levels and the risk of injury. Therefore, alternative approaches are needed to gain further insight into the progression of bTBI. One such approach is through the use of animal models, which allows blast exposure levels to be highly controlled and correlated directly to histopathological assessments of injury. This proposed project aimsto develop a digital twin of the porcine head to computationally model blast injury. Porcine brains have an anatomical structure similar to that of human brains, such as the presence of gyri and sulci and a high white matter to gray matter ratio, making them a suitable animal model for studying blast injury. In this proposed study, high fidelity porcine finite element head models will be constructed and validated against experimental blast data. The models will be used to quantify the extent and location of blast-induced injury in the porcine brain, which will be validated through histopathological examination of blast-exposed brains. The validated computational model will be used to investigate the primary blast injury mechanisms and to determine the relationship between blast intensity and risk of bTBI. The findings from the porcine model of blast injury will be translated to the human using computational models of the human brain. These models will be applied to define biophysical safety limits for blast exposure and to assess therisk of bTBI in military training exercises and operational environments, providing critical guidance to maintain the safety of military personnel.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 10, 2025
- Source ID
- N000142512246
Entities
People
- Rika Wright Carlsen
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Robert Morris University
- United States Navy