SEAL brain health under scrutiny: new study aims to detect hidden blast injuries
NCT ID NCT07131475
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study will follow 100 active-duty Navy SEALs over 4 years to see if repeated exposure to blasts affects their brain health. Researchers will use brain scans and blood tests to look for early signs of injury. The goal is to develop a way to detect blast-related brain damage before symptoms appear.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- PBR28 TSPO PET (a radioactive tracer for brain imaging)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a reliable diagnostic test to detect early brain injury from blasts, helping protect special operations forces.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study (100 people) focused on observation, not treatment. The biomarkers may not prove useful for diagnosis, and results may not apply to other groups.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 50 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Active-duty Navy SEAL Service Member 2. Early career SEAL (0-2 years) or mid-late career SEAL (10-15 years) 3. Age 18-50 years 4. Males, regardless of race or ethnicity Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of moderate or severe TBI 2. History of major neurological disorder 3. Untreated or unstable severe psychiatric condition 4. Current severe medical condition that requires long-term treatment 5. Any condition that may cause undue risk to the participant or create a logistical contraindication 6. MRI contraindication 7. PET contraindication
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States