A mobile brain scanning system, believed to be the first of its kind, is being developed to measure the effects of blast exposure on soldiers.
A team from the Universities of Nottingham and Birmingham has spent £3.1 million of Ministry of Defense funding to develop a vehicle-based laboratory that could be used in field hospitals, firing ranges and rehabilitation centres.
Scientists say this will make it possible to study how blast and other trauma affects brain function within minutes of the event, much faster than using static equipment.
The researchers added that it could likely be used outside the military, with significant benefits for research into sports concussions, dementia and epilepsy.
The system is believed to be the world's first fully mobile magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanner, a technique that uses magnets to monitor brain activity in real time.
This has been made possible by advances in energy efficiency, shielding and cooling requirements.
Professor Karen Mallinger from the Universities of Nottingham and Birmingham will co-lead the research program using the new system.
She said: “It's like mobile MRI scanners that can be sent wherever they are needed.
“So where we previously had the system in one location and had to get staff there, now the system can be used wherever staff are located, whether it’s the Brecon Beacons or the Highlands of Scotland.”
The study will focus on how the brain is affected by shock waves created by personnel using the weapons.
Professor Mallinger said: “We know there are differences in their behavior in the first 24 hours after they leave the training ground.
“But it's fading, and if we can't keep an eye on it quickly, we may miss any damage that has occurred.”
Such information, the scientists say, addresses a “critical defense issue”: whether repeated exposure to shock waves from high-powered weapons causes subtle changes in brain function.
Over the course of a career, this can increase the likelihood of serious brain diseases.
Professor Matthew Brooks, Professor of Physics at the University of Nottingham, said: “This new generation of MEGs removes the restrictions that have historically limited scanners to universities, paving the way for mobile systems that can be used directly by those who will benefit most.
“The introduction of mobile systems is likely to revolutionize other areas as well, whether parked outside hospitals to assess neurological conditions or on sports fields to scan players after concussions.”
Lieutenant Colonel James Mitchell, consultant neurologist and principal investigator of the UK Military Bomb Study at the Defense Medical Service, said: “This new system, a world first, will revolutionize research into the effects of blast on our personnel.
“For the first time, we will be able to build an accurate picture of what happens to the brain minutes and hours after blast exposure, and track recovery over time.
“Ultimately, we expect this framework to help provide robust, science-based policies for safe blast-related work practices.”
The system is expected to be operational by March 31, 2026.
