One of the biggest neurophysiological science news headlines of the 2024 summer reported a critical link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide, and brain injury from blast events in members of the elite US fighting force, Navy SEALS. Researchers from the Department of Defense/Uniformed Services University Brain Tissue Repository (DOD/USU BTR) had discovered a border of neural damage between the layers of white and gray matter comprising the cortical folds of service members’ brains. Described as a distinctive anatomical line of astroglial scarring along the shared junctions of gray and white cellular zones of the brain, this tissue injury was unlike that observed for concussive brain trauma. Rather, it was consistent with blast biophysics of mammalian tissues. In this new study, the damage appears to be correlated with long-term, repeated exposure to blast waves from nearby explosions or firing weapons. A cascade of progressive unexplained behaviors, cognitive decline, and severe depression in the trained fighters ensued. This analysis suggested that repetitive, impulsive pressure waves traveling through the service members’ heads and brains with each blast had compromised their cognitive centers, setting a downward trajectory in their mental and physical health.

中文翻译：

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大脑外伤的大爆炸理论


2024 年夏季最大的神经生理学科学新闻头条之一报道了美国精锐海豹突击队成员的创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD)、自杀和爆炸事件造成的脑损伤之间的重要联系。来自国防部/军种大学脑组织存储库（DOD/USU BTR）的研究人员发现，构成军人大脑皮质褶皱的白质和灰质层之间存在神经损伤边界。这种组织损伤被描述为沿大脑灰色和白色细胞区域共享连接处的星形胶质疤痕的独特解剖线，与脑震荡性脑损伤中观察到的组织损伤不同。相反，它与哺乳动物组织的爆炸生物物理学是一致的。在这项新研究中，这种损害似乎与长期、反复暴露于附近爆炸或发射武器产生的冲击波有关。受过训练的战士们随之而来的是一系列进行性的无法解释的行为、认知能力下降和严重抑郁。这项分析表明，每次爆炸时，重复的脉冲压力波穿过军人的头部和大脑，损害了他们的认知中心，导致他们的心理和身体健康状况下降。