Soldiers who are exposed to explosions on the battlefield are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer s, scientists have found.
Shockwaves from blasts can damage the connections between neurons and the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for memory and social function.
People in close proximity to bombs can suffer brain damage but researchers say the new finding indicates people who appear unaffected may have sustained injuries which increase the risk of neurological impairment in later life.
Scroll down for video
People in close proximity to bomb detonation can suffer brain damage but researchers say the new finding indicates people who appear unaffected can also develop neurological impairment
Soldiers exposed to explosions face higher risk of Alzheimer s msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
6 RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. Research shows that Soldiers exposed to shockwaves from military explosives are at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease even those that don’t have traumatic brain injuries from those blasts. A new Army-funded study identifies how those blasts affect the brain.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in collaboration with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, now known as DEVCOM, the Army Research Laboratory, and the National Institutes of Health found that the mystery behind blast-induced neurological complications when traumatic damage is undetected may be rooted in distinct alterations to the tiny connections between neurons in the hippocampus, the part of the brain particularly involved in memory encoding and social behavior.
Study identifies how military blast exposures affect the brain, increase risk of Alzheimer s news-medical.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from news-medical.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.