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US Department of Defense
BLAST INJURY RESEARCH
COORDINATING OFFICE
Advancing Blast Injury Research to Protect and Heal Those Who Serve

Research Highlights

Each month the US Department of Defense (DoD) Blast Injury Research Coordinating Office (BIRCO) highlights an accomplishment from the DoD Blast Injury Research Program's key program areas: Injury Prevention, Acute Treatment, and Reset. These highlights include new publications and products that add to the knowledge base for blast injury research, or novel strategies for preventing blast injury and enabling injured Service Members to return to duty and maintain an active lifestyle.

  • FY25 Research Highlights
    • November 2018: Medical Management of Blast Injury Victims Exposed To Radioactive Material
      Explosive weapons are detonated in various scenarios, and victims include U.S. Service members, adversarial forces, and civilians. Researchers from the Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology in Munich, Germany, provide the recommended medical management of victims of dirty bomb attacks in a recent article in Military Medical Research. Read more...
    • February 2021: An Observational Study of the Impact of Mild TBI on Health Care Services, Costs, and Diagnoses
      Investigation of comorbid diagnoses, healthcare utilization, and cost difference between blast-related and unrelated TBI. Read more...
    • November 2024: A Dragon's Quest To Stop Infection
      Researchers have identified novel antimicrobial peptides from Komodo dragon blood which show promise as alternatives to traditional antibiotics and may be effective in treating drug-resistant infections across both military and civilian settings. Read more...
    • February 2025: An End-User Evaluation of Blast Overpressure and Accelerative Impact Body-Worn Sensors
      Protecting Those Who Serve: Evaluating Body-Worn Sensors for Blast and Impact Events Read more...
    • February 2025: Effects of Blast Overpressure on Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability: Implications for Traumatic Brain Injury
      This study from NJIT sheds new light on the temporal and spatial changes in blood-brain barrier permeability as a function of blast overpressure in blast TBI. Read more...
    • March 2025: Cumulative Blast Impulse Is Predictive for Changes in Chronic Neurobehavioral Symptoms Following Low Level Blast Exposure during Military Training
      Can repeated low-level blast lead to significant cognitive challenges? Read more...
    • March 2025: Clinical Practice Guideline for Aural Blast Injury or Traumatic Hearing Loss
      Can repeated low-level blast lead to significant cognitive challenges? Read more...
    • June 2025: Impact of Low-Level Blast Exposure from Military Training and Career Cumulation on Hearing Outcomes
      "Beyond the Bang" - How Repeated Blasts Quietly Steal Hearing Read more...
    • June 2025: Benefits of Canine Companionship in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
      Anecdotal data suggest that canine companionship has numerous health benefits. Researchers at the National Center for PTSD at the Department of Veteran Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System objectively demonstrate the positive impact of canine companionship on attentional bias in Veterans diagnosed with chronic, severe PTSD. Read more...
  • FY23 Research Highlights
    • October 2018: University of California Group Makes a Leap Towards a Clinically Available Source of Spinal Injury Repair Material
      Components for a promising new technology could help Veterans paralyzed by blast injuries regain some motion. (H Kumamaru, 2018) In animal models, this therapy shows physical repair, and some functional repair, of substantial damage to the corticospinal tract (CST), the column of neurons within the spinal cord that is the most important among spinal tracts for voluntary movement. Read more...
    • October 2022: Cumulative Blast Exposure Estimate Model for Special Operations Forces Combat Soldiers
      In a recent study, researchers established blast exposure estimates during routine occupation training to advance occupational blast exposure monitoring and neurological deficits reported by Special Operations Forces members. Read more...
    • October 2022: Cumulative Blast Impulse Is Predictive for Changes in Chronic Neurobehavioral Symptoms Following Low Level Blast Exposure during Military Training
      Can repeated low-level blast lead to significant cognitive challenges? Read more...
    • January 2023: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Induces Time - and Sex-Dependent Cerebrovascular Dysfunction and Stroke Vulnerability
      The response of individuals with blast-related TBI to a stroke was explored using a mouse model, showing that vascular dysfunction due to mTBI persists to four (4) weeks in female mice but not in males. Read more...
    • January 2023: An End-User Evaluation of Blast Overpressure and Accelerative Impact Body-Worn Sensors
      Protecting Those Who Serve: Evaluating Body-Worn Sensors for Blast and Impact Events Read more...
    • April 2023: The Beirut ammonium nitrate blast: A multicenter study to assess injury characteristics and outcomes
      On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion devastated Beirut's city port infrastructure and caused hundreds of casualties. The tragic consequences can offer information to disaster planning processes for other cities, and the difficulties encountered could indicate ways to improve readiness. Read more...
    • April 2023: Balancing Brainwaves to Alleviate PTSD Symptoms
      On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion devastated Beirut's city port infrastructure and caused hundreds of casualties. The tragic consequences can offer information to disaster planning processes for other cities, and the difficulties encountered could indicate ways to improve readiness. Read more...
  • FY22 Research Highlights
    • June 2018: Epidemiology of Trauma-related Infections among Combat Casualties
      Results from the Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study (TIDOS) cohort sheds new light on short- and long-term infectious complications following combat trauma. Read more...
    • September 2020: Informing Readiness by Studying Combat Casualties since WWII
      A commitment to readiness means striving for continuous evidence-based learning and process improvement. To inform readiness efforts, researchers collected and analyzed casualty data from WWII through the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more...
    • January 2022: Augmented Reality Meets Tactical Combat Casualty Care
      Anatomical avatars of Service members guide medical caregivers in treating blast-related injuries in austere environments. Read more...
    • January 2022: Auditory Rehabilitation for Blast-Exposed Veterans
      Anatomical avatars of Service members guide medical caregivers in treating blast-related injuries in austere environments. Read more...
    • February 2022: 3D Finite Element Modeling of Blast Wave Transmission from External Ear to Cochlea
      Researchers use a three-dimensional finite element model to study blast-related overpressure transmission from the external ear to the spiral cochlea. Read more...
    • March 2022: Fixational Eye Movements Following Concussion
      Measuring fixational eye movements in those with and without concussions to identify ocular impairments. Read more...
    • March 2022: Fixational Eye Movements Following Concussion
      Measuring fixational eye movements in those with and without concussions to identify ocular impairments. Read more...
    • May 2022: Evacuation Strategies for Casualties with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with and without Polytrauma
      Secondary analysis yields preliminary insights on evacuation strategies for combat casualties with traumatic brain injury with and without polytrauma. Read more...
    • May 2022: Evacuation Strategies for Casualties with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with and without Polytrauma
      Secondary analysis yields preliminary insights on evacuation strategies for combat casualties with traumatic brain injury with and without polytrauma. Read more...
    • June 2022: What other injuries are associated with blast-related, dismounted single-leg amputation?
      This article analyses the pattern of injuries associated with lower limb amputation in Service members exposed to improvised explosive devices while on foot patrols Read more...
  • FY21 Research Highlights
    • April 2017: Enhanced Cognitive Rehabilitation to Treat Comorbid Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
      Researchers at the VA Medical Center in San Diego have developed a hybrid training program, known as SMART-CPT, aimed at addressing the cognitive deficits associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) while simultaneously treating the neurobehavioral symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By taking into account the complex interplay between PTSD and TBI, this hybrid treatment has the potential to effectively treat Service Members and Veterans with comorbid PTSD and TBI as opposed to treating each disorder independently. Read more...
    • September 2017: Art Therapy to Treat Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
      "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth" (Oscar Wilde). Researchers discuss common themes that appear throughout masks created by Service Members during art therapy sessions as part of an interdisciplinary outpatient program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) ranging from mourning the loss of past relationships to the use of cultural metaphors to represent experienced emotions. Read more...
    • November 2020: Auditory and Cognitive Health Consequences of TBI and Blast Exposure in Service Members and Veterans
      Clinical and self-reported assessments of impaired auditory and cognitive function highlight the chronic effects of TBI and blast exposure. Read more...
    • November 2020: Auditory and Cognitive Health Consequences of TBI and Blast Exposure in Service Members and Veterans
      Clinical and self-reported assessments of impaired auditory and cognitive function highlight the chronic effects of TBI and blast exposure. Read more...
    • December 2020: Impact of Repeated Blast Exposure on Lung Function, Pathology, and Behavioral Changes
      Researchers developed injury risk curves to assess both the physical and behavioral outcomes associated with repeated low-level blast exposures to the lung. Read more...
    • January 2021: Epidemiology of Blast Neurotrauma: A Meta-Analysis of Blast Injury Patterns in the Military and Civilian Populations
      Blast injuries from terrorism bombings impact different body regions among military and civilian populations and have varied associated risks of mortality. Read more...
    • May 2021: Blast-Related Hearing Loss: Findings on Prevention and Protection
      A new study highlights the benefit of using both ear and head protection to prevent blast-related hearing loss in military personnel. Read more...
    • June 2021: Impact of Low-Level Occupational Overpressure on Military and Law Enforcement Personnel
      Researchers investigate serum biomarkers from cohorts regularly exposed to repetitive, low-level occupational overpressure. Read more...
    • July 2021: Studying the Delayed Effects of Blast Exposure on Brain Health
      Research suggests that military blast exposure-induced hippocampal synaptopathy elevates the risk of developing persistent neurological symptoms. Read more...
    • August 2021: Consistent Terminology Facilitates Cross-Disciplinary Blast Research
      To address a lack of consistent terminology, researchers offer new conceptualization of high-level and low-level blast exposure. Read more...
    • August 2021: Cognitive Processing of Sound in Veterans with Blast Exposure
      Researchers at Boston University present findings suggesting that communication problems reported by Veterans who have difficulty following conversations in noisy settings cannot simply be explained by compromised auditory sensory processing components of the ear, but may rather be explained by blast-induced damage to cortical networks associated with the control of attention. Read more...
    • September 2022: Relationship Between Headache Characteristics and a Remote History of TBI in Veterans: A 10-Year Retrospective Chart Review
      The association of multiple mild traumatic brain injuries, longer periods of alteration to consciousness, and sub-concussive exposure with headache outcomes. Read more...
    • October 2022: Cumulative Blast Exposure Estimate Model for Special Operations Forces Combat Soldiers
      In a recent study, researchers established blast exposure estimates during routine occupation training to advance occupational blast exposure monitoring and neurological deficits reported by Special Operations Forces members. Read more...
  • FY20 Research Highlights
    • July 2017: Protein Biomarkers to Detect Heterotopic Ossification
      In recent years, heterotopic ossification (HO) has become an increasingly significant problem facing Service Members who have survived combat-related blast injuries including amputation. Using recent advances in high-throughput mass spectrometry, researchers at Daemen College have identified potential protein biomarkers associated with the development of HO. Read more...
    • November 2017: Amputation or Surgical Reconstruction?
      Because of recent surgical advances, lower extremity injuries that once required lower limb amputation are now routinely managed with limb reconstruction surgery. To evaluate the long term outcomes of this treatment option, researchers at the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center compared lower extremity biomechanics during walking between individuals with lower limb reconstruction or amputation. Read more...
    • July 2019: Factors Influencing Infection after Combat-Related Extremity Trauma
      Researchers with the Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study (TIDOS) investigated the factors associated with the risk of infection. Read more...
    • October 2019: Researchers characterize a model of aberrant bone growth after blast trauma to facilitate studies of prevention and treatment strategies
      Bone development where it should not occur is a common complication after blast trauma and a better understanding of the molecular and cellular events leading to this outcome is needed to inform prevention and treatment strategies. Read more...
    • November 2019: Analysis of skin damage expected from radiological exposure
      Researchers characterize the acute and chronic effects that radiation from nuclear weapons and dirty bombs may have on the skin. Read more...
    • February 2020: Early Patching Improves Blast-induced Ear Drum Rupture Outcomes
      Researchers investigate to see if a simple ear drum closure procedure could preserve hearing and reduce infection in victims of blast-induced tympanic membrane perforation. Read more...
    • April 2020: Distance and pressure characteristics of blast events predict risk of TBI
      A new assessment tool uses interviews to characterize Service members' blast exposure and TBI risk. Read more...
    • April 2020: Distance and pressure characteristics of blast events predict risk of TBI
      A new assessment tool uses interviews to characterize Service members' blast exposure and TBI risk. Read more...
    • May 2020: Serious Inhalation Injuries: Early Intervention to Improve Outcomes
      Researchers examined serious inhalation injuries from recent military operations, focusing on previous literature, current examination techniques, and clinical outcomes. Read more...
    • July 2020: Determining the Risk of Spinal Blast Injuries to Military Personnel in Combat Vehicles
      Modeling military lumbar spinal column injuries in Service members during vehicle underbody blast events. Read more...
    • July 2020: Determining the Risk of Spinal Blast Injuries to Military Personnel in Combat Vehicles
      Modeling military lumbar spinal column injuries in Service members during vehicle underbody blast events. Read more...
    • February 2022: 3D Finite Element Modeling of Blast Wave Transmission from External Ear to Cochlea
      Researchers use a three-dimensional finite element model to study blast-related overpressure transmission from the external ear to the spiral cochlea. Read more...
  • FY19 Research Highlights
    • March 2017: Novel Smart Catheter for Multimodal Monitoring of the Head-Injured Warrior
      While traumatic brain injury remains a grave threat to Service Members due to explosions, the ability to effectively and safely monitor the physiology of the brain is imperative in managing treatment and preventing secondary injuries. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have developed a novel multimodality neuromonitoring catheter that will improve the understanding of explosive blast neurotrauma, enhancing the care of critically brain-injured Service Members. Read more...
    • January 2019: Clinical Practice Guideline for Aural Blast Injury or Traumatic Hearing Loss
      The DoD Hearing Center of Excellence releases an updated Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guideline (JTS CPG) titled "Aural Blast Injury/Acoustic Trauma and Hearing Loss" Read more...
    • January 2019: Consistent Terminology Facilitates Cross-Disciplinary Blast Research
      To address a lack of consistent terminology, researchers offer new conceptualization of high-level and low-level blast exposure. Read more...
    • June 2019: Characterizing the Anatomy of Complex Tissue Regeneration in Mice
      Researchers from Texas A&M University compared the anatomy of normal and regenerated digit tips using mice. Characterizing normal processes of tissue regeneration provides valuable information for development of regenerative medicine therapies. Read more...
    • November 2019: Analysis of skin damage expected from radiological exposure
      Researchers characterize the acute and chronic effects that radiation from nuclear weapons and dirty bombs may have on the skin. Read more...
    • March 2023: Mathematical Model of Mechanobiology of Acute and Repeated Synaptic Injury and Systemic Biomarker Kinetics
      To address the increased hazard of repeated loads on the brain, researchers developed a model of cell adhesion molecules kinetics on synapses in the brain that accounts for detachment and rebinding due to mechanical stretch. Read more...
    • November 2024: Blast Overpressure Exposure in Military Breachers Contributes to Leaky Gut
      Military servicemembers upon exposure to blast overpressure (BOP) during training and combat develop leaky gut linked to decreased cognitive function. Read more...
    • September 2025: The Impact of Modern Warfare on the Nature of Spinal Injuries in Combat Trauma: A Retrospective Cohort Study
      Blasts and the Backbone: The Reality of Spinal Injuries in Modern Warfare Read more...
  • FY18 Research Highlights
    • October 2017: Cognitive Processing of Sound in Veterans with Blast Exposure
      Researchers at Boston University present findings suggesting that communication problems reported by Veterans who have difficulty following conversations in noisy settings cannot simply be explained by compromised auditory sensory processing components of the ear, but may rather be explained by blast-induced damage to cortical networks associated with the control of attention. Read more...
    • October 2017: Characterizing Lower Extremity Blast Injury
      This study from Centre for Blast Injury Studies is the largest analysis of combat-related traumatic amputations to date and sheds new light on this injury pattern, its characteristics, and ways to improve survivability. Read more...
    • November 2017: Amputation or Surgical Reconstruction?
      Because of recent surgical advances, lower extremity injuries that once required lower limb amputation are now routinely managed with limb reconstruction surgery. To evaluate the long term outcomes of this treatment option, researchers at the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center compared lower extremity biomechanics during walking between individuals with lower limb reconstruction or amputation. Read more...
    • December 2017: Benefits of Canine Companionship in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
      Anecdotal data suggest that canine companionship has numerous health benefits. Researchers at the National Center for PTSD at the Department of Veteran Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System objectively demonstrate the positive impact of canine companionship on attentional bias in Veterans diagnosed with chronic, severe PTSD. Read more...
    • December 2017: The Beirut ammonium nitrate blast: A multicenter study to assess injury characteristics and outcomes
      On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion devastated Beirut's city port infrastructure and caused hundreds of casualties. The tragic consequences can offer information to disaster planning processes for other cities, and the difficulties encountered could indicate ways to improve readiness. Read more...
    • February 2018: Auditory Rehabilitation for Blast-Exposed Veterans
      Many Service members and Veterans who have been exposed to blast-related events demonstrate various auditory deficits. Researchers at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research compared the effectiveness of communication strategies education, use of a personal frequency modulation system, and use of an auditory training program for improving behavioral and self-reported hearing difficulties in a population of blast-exposed Veterans. Read more...
    • February 2018: Auditory and Cognitive Health Consequences of TBI and Blast Exposure in Service Members and Veterans
      Many Service members and Veterans who have been exposed to blast-related events demonstrate various auditory deficits. Researchers at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research compared the effectiveness of communication strategies education, use of a personal frequency modulation system, and use of an auditory training program for improving behavioral and self-reported hearing difficulties in a population of blast-exposed Veterans. Read more...
    • April 2018: Balancing Brainwaves to Alleviate PTSD Symptoms
      This was the first study to report increases in autonomic cardiovascular measures following use of an intervention for Service member or veterans with PTSD. Service members or recent veterans also showed reduction in PTSD symptomology through the 6 months following use of HIRREM. Read more...
    • April 2018: Augmented Reality Meets Tactical Combat Casualty Care
      This was the first study to report increases in autonomic cardiovascular measures following use of an intervention for Service member or veterans with PTSD. Service members or recent veterans also showed reduction in PTSD symptomology through the 6 months following use of HIRREM. Read more...
    • May 2018: Characterizing Lower Extremity Blast Injury
      This study from Centre for Blast Injury Studies is the largest analysis of combat-related traumatic amputations to date and sheds new light on this injury pattern, its characteristics, and ways to improve survivability. Read more...
    • May 2018: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Induces Time - and Sex-Dependent Cerebrovascular Dysfunction and Stroke Vulnerability
      The response of individuals with blast-related TBI to a stroke was explored using a mouse model, showing that vascular dysfunction due to mTBI persists to four (4) weeks in female mice but not in males. Read more...
    • June 2018: Epidemiology of Trauma-related Infections among Combat Casualties
      Results from the Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study (TIDOS) cohort sheds new light on short- and long-term infectious complications following combat trauma. Read more...
    • July 2018: Effects of Blast Overpressure on Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability: Implications for Traumatic Brain Injury
      This study from NJIT sheds new light on the temporal and spatial changes in blood-brain barrier permeability as a function of blast overpressure in blast TBI. Read more...
    • July 2018: Impact of Low-Level Blast Exposure from Military Training and Career Cumulation on Hearing Outcomes
      "Beyond the Bang" - How Repeated Blasts Quietly Steal Hearing Read more...
    • August 2018: Interface Astrogliosis in Contact Sports Head Impacts and Military Blast Exposure
      Researchers explore the role of astrocytes in mediating damage sustained during blast injuries. Read more...
    • September 2018: Prevalence and mortality of inhalation injury in burn patients
      A systematic review of the frequency and hazard of inhalation injuries in hospitalized burn patients Read more...
    • October 2019: Researchers characterize a model of aberrant bone growth after blast trauma to facilitate studies of prevention and treatment strategies
      Bone development where it should not occur is a common complication after blast trauma and a better understanding of the molecular and cellular events leading to this outcome is needed to inform prevention and treatment strategies. Read more...
    • January 2021: Epidemiology of Blast Neurotrauma: A Meta-Analysis of Blast Injury Patterns in the Military and Civilian Populations
      Blast injuries from terrorism bombings impact different body regions among military and civilian populations and have varied associated risks of mortality. Read more...
  • FY17 Research Highlights
    • April 2017: Enhanced Cognitive Rehabilitation to Treat Comorbid Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
      Researchers at the VA Medical Center in San Diego have developed a hybrid training program, known as SMART-CPT, aimed at addressing the cognitive deficits associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) while simultaneously treating the neurobehavioral symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By taking into account the complex interplay between PTSD and TBI, this hybrid treatment has the potential to effectively treat Service Members and Veterans with comorbid PTSD and TBI as opposed to treating each disorder independently. Read more...
    • May 2017: Investigating Mechanisms of Blast Injury
      This article from CBIS suggests several key messages for those planning and conducting research to better understand blast-related injuries. Read more...
    • July 2017: Protein Biomarkers to Detect Heterotopic Ossification
      In recent years, heterotopic ossification (HO) has become an increasingly significant problem facing Service Members who have survived combat-related blast injuries including amputation. Using recent advances in high-throughput mass spectrometry, researchers at Daemen College have identified potential protein biomarkers associated with the development of HO. Read more...
    • September 2017: Art Therapy to Treat Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
      "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth" (Oscar Wilde). Researchers discuss common themes that appear throughout masks created by Service Members during art therapy sessions as part of an interdisciplinary outpatient program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) ranging from mourning the loss of past relationships to the use of cultural metaphors to represent experienced emotions. Read more...
    • June 2019: Characterizing the Anatomy of Complex Tissue Regeneration in Mice
      Researchers from Texas A&M University compared the anatomy of normal and regenerated digit tips using mice. Characterizing normal processes of tissue regeneration provides valuable information for development of regenerative medicine therapies. Read more...
    • February 2020: Early Patching Improves Blast-induced Ear Drum Rupture Outcomes
      Researchers investigate to see if a simple ear drum closure procedure could preserve hearing and reduce infection in victims of blast-induced tympanic membrane perforation. Read more...
    • July 2021: Studying the Delayed Effects of Blast Exposure on Brain Health
      Research suggests that military blast exposure-induced hippocampal synaptopathy elevates the risk of developing persistent neurological symptoms. Read more...
    • July 2025: Blast Injury and Chronic Psychiatric Disability in Military Personnel: Exploring the Association Beyond Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
      Blast Injury and Long-Term Mental Health in Soldiers: It's Not Just PTSD Read more...
Last modified: 21-Apr-2026