Thousands of Army soldiers may be suffering brain damage from blast of own weapons
Defence chiefs have confirmed for the first time that machineguns and anti-tank weapons emit harmful blast waves which can cause traumatic injuries.
Explosions create a wave of 'overpressure', a spike in the surrounding air pressure above normal atmospheric levels.
The impulse can be so strong it penetrates the skull. Once inside the brain, the energy causes microscopic damage to blood vessels and neurons.
Repeated exposure can overwhelm the brain's ability to heal itself, causing serious long-term neurological damage, according to researchers at the University of Birmingham.
Symptoms of blast-related TBI overlap with those of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), making it difficult to diagnose.
These may include: severe headaches, visual disturbances, sensitivity to noise and light, memory loss and a sense of personality change.
Speaking to ITV, Lieutenant Colonel James Mitchell said: 'If we go back twenty years to the early Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns the perception was that we were seeing concussion and mild Traumatic Brain Injury predominantly from impact and exposure to substantial blast.
'Over especially the last five to ten years we are starting to appreciate the role of what we call 'low level blast', this is predominantly exposure of our service personnel to blast overpressure from our own weapon systems.'
Lt Col Mitchell, a Royal Army Medical Service neurologist, added that while exact figures were not known, 'thousands' of serving personnel have been exposed to harmful blasts, with figures potentially even higher for veterans affected.
Most at risk are those who have been repeatedly exposed to heavy weapons, including mortars, some shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons, 50-calibre rifles and machine guns, or explosive charges.
The University of Birmingham is playing a key role in the mTBI Predict study in partnership with the Ministry of Defence.
Neuroscientist Professor Lisa Hill said when the brain is damaged, it releases biomarkers, biological clues that can help scientists understand what and where the damage is happening.
She said: 'If somebody gets injured, it changes the structure and function of the brain, but it also releases chemicals that you wouldn't normally see.
'So if we can measure things in blood or in their saliva, that can tell us how potentially bad their injury has been and what symptoms they might go on to get.'
Professor Karen Mullinger, an expert in neuro-imaging at Nottingham University, is working to identify patterns of damage with sophisticated brain scanning technology called OPM MEG.
Professor Mullinger also plans to study soldiers in real time, to see which activities are highest risk.
She said: 'We can scan these soldiers before they go and do a training exercise and then immediately after, then we get a baseline which is specific to them.
'If the 'wire paths' have been damaged by blasts or whatever else it might be, then the function is going to change.'
The information collected from these trials could shape policy, such as modifying the most damaging weapons or reducing blast exposure in training exercises.
Last night, the MOD said: 'The health and wellbeing of our Armed Forces is critical and we provide specialist medical treatment for Traumatic Brain Injuries at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre.
'We know blast exposure causes physical change or injury in the brain that is only now becoming detectable and recognised with recent advances in the field, and we know there are alleged long-term effects of this exposure, but causation has not yet been shown and is the subject of much ongoing research.
'Using the latest research and advanced technology, the UK and our international partners are actively working on advancing the diagnosis, management and rehabilitation of patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. This includes over £4m in funding for the latest advanced research, which will help both military and civilian patients.'
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