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REPORT DATE
March 20142. REPORT TYPE
PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) AND ADDRESS(ES)University of Washington, Seattle WA 98195-6470
PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER
SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5012
SPONSOR/MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S)
SPONSOR/MONITOR'S REPORT NUMBER(S)
DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENTApproved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited
SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
ABSTRACTImprovised explosive devices (IEDs) produce head injuries in nearly a majority of surviving soldiers. Most brain-injured soldiers do not, however, receive the necessary, rapid brain imaging studies as would their civilian counterparts. Instead they are flown to rear-echelon medical service centers such as in Germany for those studies, as well as additional medical care. There exists, therefore, a critical need for robust brain imaging systems at and near the battlefield. This gap in patient care reduces the quality of care and potentially, therefore the quality of life of injured soldiers. This gap also defines a critical need for rugged, field deployable systems capable of imaging injured brain. For a variety of reasons it is reasonable to expect that changes in the stiffness of brain accompany TBI, and that ultrasound-based 'sonoelastic' imaging modalities responsive to some measure of stiffness might offer a useful means for imaging the changes to brain due to TBI. Use of such systems in and near the field should improve clinical outcome for patients suffering from TBI. Our long-term goal is to develop a field deployable brain imaging system, capable of transcranial application, responsive to brain stiffness.
SUBJECT TERMStraumatic brain injury, ultrasound, sonoelasticity, brain imaging.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF:17 4 INTRODUCTION -subject. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) produce head injuries in nearly a majority of surviving soldiers. Most brain-injured soldiers do not, however, receive rapid brain imaging studies as would their civilian counterparts. Instead they are flown to rear-echelon medical service cen...