scholarly journals Ballistic helmets – Their design, materials, and performance against traumatic brain injury

2013 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 313-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.G. Kulkarni ◽  
X.-L. Gao ◽  
S.E. Horner ◽  
J.Q. Zheng ◽  
N.V. David
Author(s):  
S. G. Kulkarni ◽  
X.-L. Gao ◽  
N. V. David ◽  
S. E. Horner ◽  
J. Q. Zheng

Protecting a soldier’s head from injury is critical to function and survivability. Traditionally, combat helmets have been utilized to provide protection against shrapnel and ballistic threats, which have reduced head injuries and fatalities. However, home-made bombs or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been increasingly used in theatre of operations since the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly blast-induced TBI, which is typically not accompanied by external body injuries, is becoming increasingly prevalent among injured soldiers. The response of personal protective equipment, especially combat helmets, to blast events is relatively unknown. There is an urgent need to develop head protection systems with blast protection/ mitigation capabilities in addition to ballistic protection. Modern military operations, ammunitions, and technology driven war tactics require a lightweight headgear that integrates protection mechanisms (against ballistics, blasts, heat, and noise), sensors, night vision devices, and laser range finders into a single system. The current paper provides a comparative study on the design, materials, ballistic and blast performance of the combat helmets used by the U.S. Army based on a comprehensive and critical review of existing studies. Mechanisms of ballistic energy absorption, effects of helmet curvatures on ballistic performance, and performance measures of helmets are discussed. Properties of current helmet materials (including Kevlar® K29 and K129 fibers, and thermoset resins) and future candidate materials for helmets (such as nano-composites, thermoplastic polymers, and carbon fibers) are elaborated. Also, experimental and computational studies on blast-induced TBI are examined, and constitutive models developed for brain tissues are reviewed. Finally, the effectiveness of current combat helmets against TBI is analyzed along with possible avenues for future research.


Brain Injury ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 639-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lakshmi Srinivasan ◽  
Brian Roberts ◽  
Tamara Bushnik ◽  
Jeffrey Englander ◽  
David A. Spain ◽  
...  

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (10) ◽  
pp. 1107-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren D. Wade ◽  
Colleen G. Canning ◽  
Virginia Fowler ◽  
Kim L. Felmingham ◽  
Ian J. Baguley

Brain Injury ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin W. Greve ◽  
Jeffrey M. Love ◽  
Elisabeth Sherwin ◽  
Charles W. Mathias ◽  
Paul Ramzinski ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-225
Author(s):  
Douglas E. Kidd

This presentation offers neurodivergence embodied, autoethnography, and performance poetry. The confluence of acquiring severe traumatic brain injury combined with exposure to concepts and paradigms while pursuing a graduate degree in Disability Studies, catalyzed emergence and triggered development of my disabled identity. The brain damage acquired causes issues of decoding/deciphering/processing, which in turn triggers and/or produces episodes of temporal dissonance. When these shifts in timing occur, they have tremendous impact on rational thought processes and emotional stability. The salient aspects of my new life – emotional sensitivity and volatility – may on the surface seem detrimental and undesirable; however, I celebrate these qualities as they greatly enhance my identification with and empathy for others, which in turn drive my artistic, social, cultural, political expression, quest for community and belonging. While temporal dissonance is unlikely to occur during this planned short presentation, I will relate and provide the audience with windows on largely hidden and little understood forms of impairment.   Note: To hear recitation of some of these poems, check out fellow VIBE presenter Cheryl Green’s podcast: http://whoamitostopit.com/pigeonhole-podcast-17-autoethnographic-poetry/   The original presentation at VIBE was accompanied by music from Miles Davis and Marcus Miller’s 1987 album Music from Siesta. Readers are encouraged to listen to this album via their music platform of choice while reading the following poetry. Youtube link to the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuvtNL_jyeQ


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 915-915
Author(s):  
Davis J ◽  
Mullen C ◽  
Kurniadi N ◽  
Kitchen Andren K ◽  
Rolin S

Abstract Objective Intra-individual variability (IIV) has been associated with cognitive dysfunction and traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity. This study examined IIV in physical medicine and rehabilitation patients grouped by TBI severity and performance validity. Method Participants (N = 213) were 32% female and 90% white with average age and education of 42 (SD = 13) and 14 (SD = 2) years, respectively. Participants completed an outpatient evaluation using a flexible battery of up to 33 common neuropsychological measures. Participants were grouped by TBI severity and validity: mild (32%), moderate (14%), severe (32%), and questionable performance validity (QPV; 22%). QPV was determined on the basis of embedded and freestanding validity measures. Test battery scores were converted to T scores. Cases with four or more scores below 36 T were identified as impaired. Measures of IIV were calculated including overall test battery mean (OTBM), test battery standard deviation (SD), kurtosis, skew, range, and unbiased coefficient of variation (UCV). IIV measures were compared across groups. Results Groups were significantly different in OTBM (p < .001), kurtosis (p < .03), and UCV (p < .001). In valid cases, TBI severity was associated with OTBM (rho = −.31), SD (.19), kurtosis (−.16), and UCV (.33). Impaired and unimpaired cases were significantly different in OTBM (p < .001), SD (p < .001), range (p < .01), and UCV (p < .001). QPV cases were similar to impaired cases on measures of IIV. Conclusions IIV measures have potential clinical utility in characterizing cognitive deficits in TBI and warrant further study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-176
Author(s):  
John W. Lace ◽  
Zachary C. Merz ◽  
Alex F. Grant ◽  
Carson L. Teague ◽  
Stephanie Aylward ◽  
...  

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