Brain at the breaking point
Study that stretched and strained neural connections could yield insights into traumatic injury
SAN DIEGO — Rigid pathways in brain cell connections buckle and break when stretched, scientists report, a finding that could aid in the understanding of exactly what happens when traumatic brain injuries occur.
![BROKEN AXON: Sudden forces cause microtubules running inside axons to break (arrow), leading to axon swelling and damage, a new study shows. The work may have implications for understanding traumatic brain injury. Credit: D. Smith](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/11950.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1)
Up to 20 percent of combat soldiers and an estimated 1.4 million U.S. civilians sustain traumatic brain injuries each year. But the mechanics behind these injuries have remained mysterious.
New research, described February 19 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, suggests exactly how a blow to the brain disrupts this complex organ.