Blasted brain

U.S. researchers have designed a mouse model of blast-induced brain injury and shown that the animal develops chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition associated with concussive injuries in athletes.¹ The team plans to use the model to identify biomarkers and therapies for the condition.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by plaques and tangles of microtubule-associated protein-t (MAPT; TAU; FTDP-17) throughout the brain, as well as widespread axonal and microvascular damage. Initial symptoms include depression, irritability and impulsivity. These primarily psychological symptoms are followed by cognitive impairment and memory loss and eventually by full dementia with speech and gait dysfunction (see "Brain on the battlefield")...