Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Cortical Metrics, LLC, Carrboro, NC 27599, USA.
Applied Research Associates, Inc Arlington Division, Arlington, VA 22203, USA.
Mil Med. 2022 Oct 29;187(11-12):e1363-e1369. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usab160.
The Office of Naval Research sponsored the Blast Load Assessment Sense and Test (BLAST) program to develop a rapid, in-field solution that could be used by team leaders, commanders, and medical personnel to provide a standardized approach to operationally relevant monitoring and analysis of service members exposed to single or repeated low-level blast. A critical piece of the BLAST team's solution was the development of the Brain Gauge technology which includes a cognitive assessment device that measures neurofunctional changes by testing sensory perceptions and a suite of mathematical algorithms that analyze the results of the test. The most recent versions of the technology are easily portable; the device is in the size and shape of a computer mouse. Tests can be administered in a matter of minutes and do not require oversight by a clinician, making Brain Gauge an excellent choice for field use. This paper describes the theoretical underpinnings and performance of a fieldable Brain Gauge technology for use with military populations.
The methods used by the Brain Gauge have been documented in over 80 peer-reviewed publications. These papers are reviewed, and the utility of the Brain Gauge is described in terms of those publications.
The Brain Gauge has been demonstrated to be an effective tool for assessing blast-induced neurotrauma and tracking its recovery. Additionally, the method parallels neurophysiological findings of animal models which provide insight into the sensitivity of specific metrics to mechanisms of information processing.
The overall objective of the work was to provide an efficient tool, or tools, that can be effectively used for (1) determining stand-down criteria when critical levels of blast exposure have been reached and (2) tracking the brain health history until return-to-duty status is achieved. Neurofunctional outcome measures will provide the scientific link between blast sensors and the impact of blast on biological health. This calibration process is strengthened with outcome measures that have a biological basis that are paralleled in animal models. The integrative approach that utilizes the Brain Gauge technology will provide a significant advance for assessing the impact of blast exposure and support rapid, science-based decision-making that will ensure mission success and promote the protection of brain health in service members.
海军研究办公室资助了爆炸负荷评估感知与测试（BLAST）计划，以开发一种快速的现场解决方案，该方案可供团队领导、指挥官和医务人员使用，为接触单次或重复低水平爆炸的现役人员提供一种与操作相关的监测和分析的标准化方法。BLAST 团队解决方案的一个关键部分是开发 Brain Gauge 技术，该技术包括一种认知评估设备，通过测试感官感知来测量神经功能变化，以及一套数学算法来分析测试结果。该技术的最新版本易于携带；该设备的形状和大小与计算机鼠标相同。测试可以在几分钟内完成，并且不需要临床医生的监督，因此 Brain Gauge 非常适合现场使用。本文描述了一种可用于军事人群的可现场使用的 Brain Gauge 技术的理论基础和性能。
Brain Gauge 使用的方法已在 80 多篇同行评议的出版物中记录。这些论文进行了回顾，并根据这些出版物描述了 Brain Gauge 的实用性。
Brain Gauge 已被证明是评估爆炸引起的神经创伤和跟踪其恢复情况的有效工具。此外，该方法与动物模型的神经生理学发现相吻合，为特定指标对信息处理机制的敏感性提供了深入了解。
这项工作的总体目标是提供一种有效的工具或工具，可以有效地用于（1）当达到临界爆炸暴露水平时确定停职标准，（2）跟踪大脑健康史，直到达到返回工作状态。神经功能结果测量将为爆炸传感器与爆炸对生物健康的影响之间提供科学联系。这种校准过程通过具有生物学基础的结果测量得到加强，这些结果测量在动物模型中得到了印证。利用 Brain Gauge 技术的综合方法将为评估爆炸暴露的影响提供重大进展，并支持基于科学的快速决策，从而确保任务成功并促进保护现役人员的大脑健康。
