An ultrastructural study of experimental high velocity penetrating head injury

Experimental high velocity missile brain injury in the rhesus monkey produces widespread swelling of perivascular astrocytes within 30 min of injury. Possible mechanisms for this lesion include a direct effect of force, chemical mediation secondary to the extravasation of blood, alterations in the permeability of the blood brain barrier and ischaemia. The implications of this findings for the function of the blood brain barrier, for neurotransmission and for neuronal survival are discussed.