Methodology of the INVestigating traIning assoCiated blasT pAthology (INVICTA) study

Background Subconcussive blast exposure during military training has been the subject of both anecdotal concerns and reports in the medical literature, but prior studies have often been small and have used inconsistent methods. Methods This paper presents the methodology employed in INVestigating traIning assoCiated blasT pAthology (INVICTA) to assess a wide range of aspects of brain function, including immediate and delayed recall, gait and balance, audiologic and oculomotor function, cerebral blood flow, brain electrical activity and neuroimaging and blood biomarkers. Results A number of the methods employed in INVICTA are relatively easy to reproducibly utilize, and can be completed efficiently, while other measures require greater technical expertise, take longer to complete, or may have logistical challenges. Conclusions This presentation of methods used to assess the impact of blast exposure on the brain is intended to facilitate greater uniformity of data collection in this setting, which would enable comparison between different types of blast exposure and environmental circumstances, as well as to facilitate meta-analyses and syntheses across studies.