Central Mechanisms and Treatment of Blast-Induced Auditory and Vestibular Injuries

The study is to utilize our well-defined shock tube simulation of mild blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) in rodents to characterize interrelated biomechanical and pathophysiological mechanisms of blast-induced central auditory processing disorders (CAPDs) and central vestibular injuries (CVIs) and to develop an early therapeutic intervention for hearing loss and balance disorder mitigation. The major objectives of the proposed studies and relevant research sub-gaps are: 1) Verify the time course of hearing loss and balance disorders induced by blast exposure and define plasma and CSF TDP-43 as a biomarker related to blast-induced central auditory/vestibular deficits; 2) Characterize blast induced biochemical, functional and morphological alterations in central auditory/vestibular systems and establish that blast-induced altered expression of TDP-43 and its BDPs in these structures play a key pathophysiological mechanism leading to secondary injuries.