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The Effects of Chronic Exposure to Low-Level Blasts

NCT01524822 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 66

Last updated 2023-03-17

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background:

\- Repeated exposure to explosions may lead to changes in the way that people think or feel. Breachers (people trained to use explosives to get into buildings) are exposed to repeated blasts as part of their job. Researchers want to study how they might be affected by blast exposure. Breachers will be compared with other groups who have different levels of exposure to repeated blasts. Information will also be obtained from spouses or close companions.

Objectives:

\- To study the effects of repeated exposure to low-level blasts on thinking, memory, behavior, and brain function.

Eligibility:

* Experienced military and civilian breachers, experienced active duty artillery operators, and active duty military without frequent blast exposure, 18 and 60 years of age.
* Spouses or close companions of these individuals.

Design:

* Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood samples will be collected and a urine pregnancy test will be required of participants (not companions) before MRI scanning.
* Participants will spend up to 5-days as a NIH clinic outpatient, with about 6 hours of tests each day. Tests will include the following:
* Medical and professional history, with questions about exposures to blasts
* Tests of thinking, memory, and concentration
* Balance tests
* Hearing tests
* Imaging studies, such as magnetic resonance imaging, to look at the brain
* Overnight sleep study to monitor brain waves
* Blood samples
* Participants will return 1 year later for a 3-day followup visit. Some of the tests from before will be repeated. A spouse or close companion (if available) will be asked to complete questionnaires or have a telephone interview....

Conditions

  • Tramatic Brain Injury

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)

    collaborator FED

  • Naval Medical Research Center

    collaborator FED

  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

    lead NIH

Principal Investigators

  • Eric M Wassermann, M.D. · National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
60 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2012-07-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01524822 on ClinicalTrials.gov