A researcher from Columbia Engineering has led the first study to determine underlying biological mechanisms that promote functional recovery of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after a blast injury. The study, published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, details the creation of test shock models which were used to determine how various treatments aided in immediate recovery on a cellular level. Final findings concluded that treatment with dexamethasone provided the fastest BBB recovery, healing at nearly three times the natural rate. “Our research should stimulate renewed clinical interest in developing glucocorticoid therapies to treat blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) and other disorders of the central nervous system,” the author of the study said. “We may be able to improve outcomes in brain-injured soldiers and civilians,” he continued, “and reduce the length of their mandatory rest periods before returning to duty, making the difference between requiring only days rather than weeks or longer to recover.” These findings could lead to proactive drug treatments that could be administered in the field immediately following blast injuries. To learn more about this study, click here.