"There are many young, otherwise healthy veterans who have suffered blast-related TBIs, some of them years in the past, who either aren't getting better or, in some cases, are getting worse," says Dr. Elder. "We don't know why or how to identify those at greatest risk. The work in this study is a step towards answering those questions."

For this project, the human studies were conducted by Dara Dickstein, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.


Following blast exposure, the rats were studied by Rita De Gasperi, PhD, Instructor in Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the James J. Peters VA Medical Center.

"This research supports the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation mission by identifying biomarkers -- like brain neuroimaging -- that can lead to earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's and related dementias, including CTE," said Dr. Howard Fillit, Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of ADDF, one of the study's financial supporters. "CTE research is relatively new, but it is advancing rapidly. Studies such as this one will advance our understanding of CTE, Alzheimer's and other neurogenerative diseases, improve the rigor and efficiency of clinical trials, and may ultimately provide screening tools to identify patients for the trials and as a measurement to assess drug effect."


About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality care--from prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services, including more than 400 ambulatory practice locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of the Top 20 Best Hospitals in the country and the Icahn School of Medicine as one of the Top 20 Best Medical Schools in country. Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are consistently ranked regionally by specialty by U.S. News & World Report.

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