Generating a Closed-Head Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in a Murine Model

Start with a shock tube setup, including driver and driven sections with pressure sensors, a cushioned pipe shield, and a connected gas cylinder.

Place a polyester membrane between the driver and driven sections and secure it.

Place a fully anesthetized mouse within the pipe shield. This protects peripheral organs while exposing only the head, supported on a gauze pad.

Align the mouse’s head with its occipital condyle near the pipe’s edge to prevent injury to the brainstem. 

Start pressure monitoring from the sensors.

Open the gas valve to generate a pressure spike.

The gas overpressure builds in the driver section, causing the membrane to rupture and releasing a shock wave through the driven section. 

The wave exits the tube and impacts the mouse’s head, causing the brain to move rapidly within the skull.

This collision with surrounding bone damages certain brain parts, inducing a closed-head mild traumatic brain injury.