Abstract

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major health issue that is hard to diagnose since it often occurs without signs of external injuries. While it is well known that exposure of biological cells to shock waves causes damage to the cell membrane, it is currently unknown by which mechanisms damage is caused, and how it depends on physical parameters such as shock wave velocity, shock pulse duration, or shock pulse shape. In this computational study, we use a coarse-grained model of the lipid vesicle as a generic model of a cell membrane to elucidate the general principles of the cellular damage induced by the shock waves. The results show that the permeability of the cellular membrane is altered at pressures generated by supersonic shock waves, which are greater than 60 and 5 psi under compression and extension, respectively. Consequently, these permeability changes may lead to changes in the influx of sodium, potassium, and calcium ions.

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