DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. Navy is spending $790,000 to try to figure out how to detect and quickly treat the serious brain injuries that roadside bombs inflict on many U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Wayne State University says its biomedical engineers will use the grant from the Office of Naval Research to find out how shock waves from improvised explosives cause brain injuries.

The Detroit school says roadside bombs cause most of the brain injuries to troops and account for about 80 percent of all wounds.

Researcher Pamela VandeVord says the team will seek a blood test to quickly detect proteins released by dead brain cells. She says they'll also look for drugs that are effective in treating brain trauma when administered in the field.