Do Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Severity Sub-classification Systems Help to Identify People Who Go on to Experience Long-Term Symptoms?

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-132
Author(s):  
Alice Theadom ◽  
Suzanne Barker-Collo ◽  
Andrea Greenwood ◽  
Priya Parmar ◽  
Kelly Jones ◽  
...  

Objective: To identify the systems available to sub-classify mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to determine their utility in predicting 1-year outcome.Methods: A systematic review to identify mild-TBI sub-classification systems was conducted until March 2016. The identified systems were applied to a cohort ofN= 290 adults who had experienced a mild-TBI, and who had been assessed for post-concussion symptoms 1-year post injury. ANOVAs and regression models were used to determine whether each sub-classification system could distinguish between outcomes and to explore their contribution to explaining variance in post-concussion symptoms 1-year post injury.Results: Nineteen sub-classification systems for mild-TBI met the inclusion criteria for this review. The Saal (1991) classification system significantly differentiated the experience of post-concussion symptoms in our cohort 1-year post injury (F= 2.39,p= 0.05). However, the findings did not remain significant following correction for multiple comparisons and inclusion of socio-demographic and contextual factors in the regression model.Conclusions: Current sub-classification systems fail to explain much of the variance in post-concussion symptoms 1 year following mild-TBI. Further research is needed to identify the factors (including socio-demographic and contextual factors) to determine, who may be at risk of developing persistent post-concussion symptoms.

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Rany Vorn ◽  
Maiko Suarez ◽  
Jacob C. White ◽  
Carina A. Martin ◽  
Hyung-Suk Kim ◽  
...  

Chronic mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has long-term consequences, such as neurological disability, but its pathophysiological mechanism is unknown. Exosomal microRNAs (exomiRNAs) may be important mediators of molecular and cellular changes involved in persistent symptoms after mTBI. We profiled exosomal microRNAs (exomiRNAs) in plasma from young adults with or without a chronic mTBI to decipher the underlying mechanisms of its long-lasting symptoms after mTBI. We identified 25 significantly dysregulated exomiRNAs in the chronic mTBI group (n = 29, with 4.48 mean years since the last injury) compared to controls (n = 11). These miRNAs are associated with pathways of neurological disease, organismal injury and abnormalities, and psychological disease. Dysregulation of these plasma exomiRNAs in chronic mTBI may indicate that neuronal inflammation can last long after the injury and result in enduring and persistent post-injury symptoms. These findings are useful for diagnosing and treating chronic mTBIs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphne C. Voormolen ◽  
Marina Zeldovich ◽  
Juanita A. Haagsma ◽  
Suzanne Polinder ◽  
Sarah Friedrich ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive examination of the relation of complicated and uncomplicated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with multidimensional outcomes at three- and six-months after TBI. We analyzed data from the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research (CENTER-TBI) research project. Patients after mTBI (Glasgow Coma scale (GCS) score of 13–15) enrolled in the study were differentiated into two groups based on computed tomography (CT) findings: complicated mTBI (presence of any traumatic intracranial injury on first CT) and uncomplicated mTBI (absence of any traumatic intracranial injury on first CT). Multidimensional outcomes were assessed using seven instruments measuring generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (SF-36 and QOLIBRI), functional outcome (GOSE), and psycho-social domains including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PCL-5), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Data were analyzed using a multivariate repeated measures approach (MANOVA-RM), which inspected mTBI groups at three- and six-months post injury. Patients after complicated mTBI had significantly lower GOSE scores, reported lower physical and mental component summary scores based on the SF-36 version 2, and showed significantly lower HRQoL measured by QOLIBRI compared to those after uncomplicated mTBI. There was no difference between mTBI groups when looking at psychological outcomes, however, a slight improvement in PTSD symptoms and depression was observed for the entire sample from three to six months. Patients after complicated mTBI reported lower generic and disease specific HRQoL and worse functional outcome compared to individuals after uncomplicated mTBI at three and six months. Both groups showed a tendency to improve from three to six months after TBI. The complicated mTBI group included more patients with an impaired long-term outcome than the uncomplicated group. Nevertheless, patients, clinicians, researchers, and decisions-makers in health care should take account of the short and long-term impact on outcome for patients after both uncomplicated and complicated mTBI.


2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey E. Woodrome ◽  
Keith Owen Yeates ◽  
H. Gerry Taylor ◽  
Jerome Rusin ◽  
Barbara Bangert ◽  
...  

AbstractThis study examined whether children's coping strategies are related to post-concussive symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) versus orthopedic injury (OI). Participants were 8- to 15-year-old children with mild TBI (n = 167) or OI (n = 84). They rated their current preferred coping strategies and post-injury symptoms at 2 weeks (baseline) and 1, 3, and 12 months post-injury. Children's reported use of coping strategies did not vary significantly over time, so their baseline coping ratings were examined as predictors of post-concussive symptoms across time. Self-ratings of symptoms were positively related to emotion-focused strategies and negatively related to problem-focused engagement after both mild TBI and OI. Higher problem-focused disengagement predicted larger group differences in children's ratings of symptoms, suggesting that problem-focused disengagement moderates the effects of mild TBI. Coping strategies collectively accounted for approximately 10–15% of the variance in children's post-concussive symptoms over time. The findings suggest that coping may play an important role in accounting for children's perceptions of post-concussive symptoms after mild TBI. (JINS, 2011, 17, 317–326)


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2070
Author(s):  
Sung-Ho Jang ◽  
Chang-Hoon Bae ◽  
Jae-Woon Kim ◽  
Hyeok-Gyu Kwon

Some studies have reported that a core vestibular projection (CVP) injury is associated with dizziness following a brain injury using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). On the other hand, there has been no DTT study on dizziness caused by a CVP injury in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study, DTT was used to examine the relationship between dizziness and CVP injury in patients with mild TBI. Forty-three patients with mild TBI and twenty-nine normal subjects were recruited. The patients were classified into two groups based on the dizziness score: group A, patients with a dizziness score less than 2 on the sub-item score for dizziness in the Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire; group B, patients with a dizziness score above 2. The tract volume (TV) in group B was significantly lower than group A and the control group (p < 0.05). By contrast, the TV in group A was similar to the control group (p > 0.05). Regarding the correlation, the dizziness score of all patients showed a strong negative correlation with the TV of the CVP (r = −0.711, p < 0.05). DTT revealed the CVP injury in patients with dizziness after mild TBI. In addition, the severity of dizziness of these patients was closely related to the injury severity of the CVP.


F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1024
Author(s):  
Dejan Javorac ◽  
Valdemar Stajer ◽  
Sergej M. Ostojic

Background: Sport-related mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious trauma that could impair brain function of an injured athlete. Treatment solutions for mild TBI typically concentrate on complete rest, while non-traditional therapeutic options remain largely ineffective. Molecular hydrogen (H2) is an innovative neuroprotective agent that can easily reach the brain, yet no data are available concerning its value as a first-aid intervention after a mild TBI. Case report: This case report demonstrates the efficacy and safety of a hydrogen-producing dissolving tablet administered buccally during the first 24 hours post-injury in a professional soccer player who suffered a mild TBI. The patient received a formulated dosage of hydrogen every 2 hours, with the first intervention given immediately after an initial examination (~ 15 min after the injury). The overall score for Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2), a standardized method of evaluating injured athletes for concussion, increased from 68 points (severe disruption) at baseline to 84 points (mild disruption) at 24-h follow-up. The patient reported no side effects of hydrogen intervention. Conclusions: This case has demonstrated that intensive consecutive therapy with oral transmucosal hydrogen formulation is a beneficial strategy with regard to the reduction of presence and severity of symptoms of sport-related mild TBI.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Grovola ◽  
Nicholas Paleologos ◽  
Daniel P. Brown ◽  
Nathan Tran ◽  
Kathryn L. Wofford ◽  
...  

AbstractOver 2.8 million people experience mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States each year, which may lead to long-term neurological dysfunction. The mechanical forces that occur due to TBI propagate through the brain to produce diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and trigger secondary neuroinflammatory cascades. The cascades may persist from acute to chronic time points after injury, altering the homeostasis of the brain. However, the relationship between the hallmark axonal pathology of diffuse TBI and potential changes in glial cell activation or morphology have not been established in a clinically relevant large animal model at chronic time points. In this study, we assessed tissue from pigs subjected to rapid head rotation in the coronal plane to generate mild TBI. Neuropathological assessments for axonal pathology, microglial morphological changes, and astrocyte reactivity were conducted in specimens out to 1 year post injury. We detected an increase in overall amyloid precursor protein pathology, as well as periventricular white matter and fimbria/fornix pathology after a single mild TBI. We did not detect changes in corpus callosum integrity or astrocyte reactivity. However, detailed microglial skeletal analysis revealed changes in morphology, most notably increases in the number of microglial branches, junctions, and endpoints. These subtle changes were most evident in periventricular white matter and certain hippocampal subfields, and were observed out to 1 year post injury in some cases. These ongoing morphological alterations suggest persistent change in neuroimmune homeostasis. Additional studies are needed to characterize the underlying molecular and neurophysiological alterations, as well as potential contributions to neurological deficits.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel S. King ◽  
Simon Kirwilliam

Objective: Very few studies have examined permanent post-concussion symptoms (PCSs) after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). None have reported the nature of such symptoms. Our recent study was the first to report on a wide range of factors affecting PCSs in a representative sample of such patients. This paper presents the frequencies of the different PCSs experienced by this group and compares them with PCSs at earlier stages post injury.Method: One hundred consecutively referred patients to a Community Head Injury Service in Buckinghamshire, UK, for the treatment of long-term PCSs after MTBI were invited to participate in the original study. Those consenting to do so (n = 24, mean time post injury = 6.9 years) completed a Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire. The frequency of the types of symptoms reported is presented. These are then contrasted with comparable PCS presentations at 7–10 days and 6 months post injury from two other studies.Results: Fatigue was reported by all long-term patients. Poor concentration, sleep disturbance, taking longer to think and irritability were the other most frequently endorsed permanent symptoms. The least reported were blurred/double vision, photophobia, nausea, headache and dizziness. A similar pattern was present in those at earlier stages post injury.Conclusions: The most common permanent PCSs may be those best conceptualised as the more cognitively and emotionally based symptoms, and the least common the more somatically based ones. There may be some consistency in the nature of PCSs reported over time.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 2333794X2094798
Author(s):  
Akella Chendrasekhar ◽  
Brandon Kuczabski ◽  
Douglas Cohen ◽  
Melissa Grageda ◽  
Daniel Genovese-Scullin ◽  
...  

Delayed sequelae from mild traumatic brain injury (Glasgow Coma Score at admission >13, TBI) has been documented in case reports however larger studies of these effects are sparse. We undertook a telephone based survey to assess the long term sequelae of TBI. We tracked 100 pediatric TBI patients via our trauma registry for demographic data including age, injury severity, and mechanism of injury. Then we proceeded to contact these patient’s parents via telephone. We asked regarding residual symptoms and signs of concussive injury. Duration out from initial concussive injury ranged from 4 to 68 months. The parents of 66 boys and 34 girls were surveyed. The age of the patients at the time of mild TBI ranged from 1 to 14 years. The injury severity score ranged from 1 to 21. One being the most common Injury severity score. Thirty-three percent of patients had residual effects of concussion at the time of telephone survey. Fourteen percent had memory loss issues, 21% had anxiety/depression issues, 20% had learning disability issues, and 15% had sleep disturbance issues. Duration of time post concussive injury, mechanism, and age did not influence incidence of sequelae. Mild traumatic brain injury has significant long term sequelae. Better identifying characteristics are needed to characterize patients susceptible to long term residual effects of concussion.


2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennie Ponsford ◽  
John Olver ◽  
Michael Ponsford ◽  
Michael Schönberger

AbstractBackground and Objective:Victoria's trauma management system provides acute care and rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury (TBI), with care of more complex injuries generally provided in specialist centres in metropolitan Melbourne. Little is known about how the outcomes of TBI survivors living in metropolitan Melbourne compare to those who reside in regional Victoria once they return to their community, where support services may be less available. The aim of the present study was to compare, in TBI individuals who have been treated at an inner-city rehabilitation centre in Melbourne, the long-term outcomes of those who live in metropolitan Melbourne (termed ‘Metro’) with those who reside in regional Victoria, termed ‘Regional.’Design and participants:Comparative study with quantitative outcome measures. A total of 959 patients, of whom 645 were designated ‘metro’ and 314 ‘regional’, were followed-up routinely at 2 years post-injury.Outcome measures:Structured Outcome Questionnaire, Glasgow Outcome Scale — Extended, Sickness Impact Profile, Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and Drug Abuse Screening Test.Results:Few differences in outcomes were found between groups. However, after controlling for group differences in age and injury severity, some non-significant trends were suggestive of better outcomes in terms of less social isolation and anxiety and fewer dysexecutive behaviours in regional dwellers.Conclusions:These findings suggest that outcomes in patients from regional areas are at least as good as those from metropolitan Melbourne.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly M. Jones ◽  
Suzanne Barker-Collo ◽  
Priya Parmar ◽  
Nicola Starkey ◽  
Alice Theadom ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION There is growing consensus that adverse child outcomes may be evident in the early recovery phase following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, controversy remains around the nature of children’s longer-term recovery. AIM To examine child cognitive, behavioural and quality-of-life outcomes over 12 months following mild injury, and to identify prognostic factors associated with outcomes. METHODS A prospective sample of 222 children (aged 2–15 years at injury) with mild TBI was assessed using a cognitive testing battery and parent-report questionnaires at ≤ 14 days, 1, 6 and/or 12-months post-injury. RESULTS Parents reported significant improvements in their child’s behavioural adjustment between baseline and 6 months (P = 0.003), with further improvements at 12 months following injury (P = 0.001). Cognitive recovery and quality-of-life improvements were more gradual with minimal changes in the first month (P > 0.05), but significant improvements by 12-months post-injury (P = 0.03, P = 0.02, respectively). Time since injury, male gender, living rurally and parent anxiety were associated with extent of recovery beyond the acute period. CONCLUSIONS Children’s recovery from mild TBI continues beyond the initial 6 months following injury. Health-care providers need to be vigilant about the varying trajectories in children’s recovery from TBI. On-going monitoring of children following injury will enable timely and proactive responses to persistent difficulties, with a view to minimising longer-term adverse consequences.


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