Overview

• The Ministry of Defence has acknowledged that low-level blast over-pressure from soldiers’ own weapons is causing traumatic brain injuries in thousands of current personnel and veterans.
• Troops repeatedly exposed to heavy weapons such as mortars, shoulder-launched anti-tank systems, 50-calibre rifles and machine guns are at highest risk of concussion and mild TBI.
• Symptoms of blast-related TBI – including severe headaches, visual disturbances, sensitivity to noise and light, memory loss and personality changes – can mimic PTSD and complicate diagnosis.
• With MoD funding, University of Birmingham scientists are developing blood-based biomarker assays while Nottingham University researchers use OPM-MEG brain scans to detect microscopic damage.
• Initial trial scans have revealed possible neurological changes in veteran volunteers and research is expanding to establish diagnostic baselines that will guide future training, equipment and compensation policies.