Bomb Blast Induced Shock Waves May Electrify and Damage the Brain

Shock waves produced due to a bomb blast may electrify the brain and damage it, according to a new study.

A new study has found that the shock waves produced due to a bomb blast may electrify the brain and damage it.

"It's always exciting to look at a phenomenon that may have been missed in the past," Live Science quoted Steven Johnson, a theoretical physicist at MIT, as saying.

Shock Wave Therapy Increase The Risk Of Diabetes
Mayo clinic researchers have found that shock wave lithotripsy, which is given for treating kidney stones have increased the risk of diabetes and also hypertension in later part of life

He added: "Moreover, this is potentially an issue that can directly affect the lives of our soldiers, which gives it a special interest for all of us who are involved."

Several materials produce electricity when they are mechanically stressed. Known as piezoelectricity, this effect is commonly witnessed in guitar pickups and loudspeakers.

Johnson and his team designed a new computer model of the electric fields created in the skull by an improvised explosive device (IED).

Radiation Exposure may Increase Heart Disease, Stroke Risk
Exposure to moderate levels of radiation may increase the rates of heart disease and stroke, but the degree of risk at lower doses is unclear.

The results suggest the generated electric fields could exceed electrical safety guidelines by a factor of 10.

While there are numerous uncertainties at present these electric pulses could help find a new class of medical diagnostic tools for blast-induced head injuries like customized helmets.

Artificial Sheath On Natural Bone Cover Could Help Faster Healing In Traumatic Injuries
Artificial sheath on natural bone cover could help faster healing in traumatic injuries like in a car wreck, bomb blast or disease that leaves too little cover.

Johnson said: "We are looking into whether antennas inside the helmet could pick up the electric field generated when the blast impacts the skull, which would provide a direct measure of the head's exposure to a blast wave.

"Eventually, the reading could be used for diagnosis," he added."If the reading is above a certain threshold determined by injury research, the soldier could be directed to further screening and treatment - MRI scans and so on."

US Marines 'Dogs of War,' Bomb-sniffing Black Labradors Save Lives in Afghanistan
A bomb-sniffing black Labrador can mean the difference between life and death, for the US Marines patrolling the dusty footpaths of southern Afghanistan.

Source-ANI
TAN