Association of cause of injury and traumatic axonal injury: a clinical MRI study of moderate and severe traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVEThe authors investigated the association between the cause of injury and the occurrence and grade of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) on clinical MRI in patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).METHODSData for a total of 396 consecutive patients, aged 7–70 years, with moderate or severe TBI admitted to a level 1 trauma center were prospectively registered. Data were included for analysis from the 219 patients who had MRI performed within 35 days (median 8, IQR 4–17 days) and for whom cause of injury was known. Cause of injury was registered as road traffic accident (RTA) or fall (both with respective subcategories), alpine skiing or snowboarding accident, or violence. The MRI protocol consisted of T2*-weighted gradient echo, FLAIR, and diffusion-weighted imaging scans. TAI lesions were evaluated in a blinded manner and categorized into 3 grades, hemispheric/cerebellar white matter (grade 1), corpus callosum (grade 2), and brainstem (grade 3). The absence of TAI was analyzed as grade 0. Contusions and mass lesions on CT were also registered.RESULTSCause of injury did not differ between included and nonincluded patients. TAI was found in 83% of patients in the included group after RTAs and 62% after falls (p < 0.001). Observed TAI grades differed between the subcategories of both RTAs (p = 0.004) and falls (p = 0.006). Pedestrians in RTAs, car drivers/passengers in RTAs, and alpine skiers had the highest prevalence of TAI (89%–100%) and the highest TAI grades (70%–82% TAI grades 2–3). TAI was found in 76% of patients after falls from > own height (45% TAI grade 2–3), 63% after falls down the stairs (26% TAI grade 2–3), and 31% after falls from ≤ own height (12% TAI grade 2–3). Moreover, 53% of patients with TAI after RTAs and 68% with TAI after falls had cortical contusions or mass lesions on CT.CONCLUSIONSThis prospective study of moderate and severe TBI is to the authors’ knowledge the first clinical MRI study to demonstrate both the high prevalence and grade of TAI after most of the different types of RTAs, alpine skiing accidents, and falls from a height. Importantly, TAI was also common following more low-energy trauma such as falls down the stairs or from own height. Physicians managing TBI patients in the acute phase should be aware of the possibility of TAI no matter the cause of injury and also when the CT scan shows cortical contusions or mass lesions.

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A longitudinal MRI study of traumatic axonal injury in patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2012-302644 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 83 (12) ◽

pp. 1193-1200 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

Kent Gøran Moen ◽

Toril Skandsen ◽

Mari Folvik ◽

Veronika Brezova ◽

Kjell Arne Kvistad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Axonal Injury ◽

Traumatic Axonal Injury ◽

Longitudinal Mri ◽

Mri Study

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of A longitudinal MRI study of traumatic axonal injury in patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.717955275.793460431 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Robert Ruff

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Axonal Injury ◽

Traumatic Axonal Injury ◽

Longitudinal Mri ◽

Mri Study

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Modulated Neuroprotection in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11081044 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1044

Author(s):

Cristina Daia ◽

Cristian Scheau ◽

Aura Spinu ◽

Ioana Andone ◽

Cristina Popescu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Glasgow Coma Scale ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome ◽

Coma Scale ◽

Severe Tbi ◽

Neuroprotective Treatment ◽

Gcs Score

Background: We aimed to assess the effects of modulated neuroprotection with intermittent administration in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: Retrospective analysis of 60 patients divided into two groups, with and without neuroprotective treatment with Actovegin, Cerebrolysin, pyritinol, L-phosphothreonine, L-glutamine, hydroxocobalamin, alpha-lipoic acid, carotene, DL-α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, thiamine, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin, Q 10 coenzyme, and L-carnitine alongside standard treatment. Main outcome measures: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) after TBI, Extended Glasgow Coma Scale (GOS E), Disability Rankin Scale (DRS), Functional Independence Measurement (FIM), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), all assessed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after TBI. Results: Patients receiving neuroprotective treatment recovered more rapidly from UWS than controls (p = 0.007) passing through a state of minimal consciousness and gradually progressing until the final evaluation (p = 0.000), towards a high cognitive level MOCA = 22 ± 6 points, upper moderate disability GOS-E = 6 ± 1, DRS = 6 ± 4, and an assisted gait, FIM =101 ± 25. The improvement in cognitive and physical functioning was strongly correlated with lower UWS duration (−0.8532) and higher GCS score (0.9803). Conclusion: Modulated long-term neuroprotection may be the therapeutic key for patients to overcome UWS after severe TBI.

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Self-awareness four years after severe traumatic brain injury: discordance between the patient’s and relative’s complaints. Results from the PariS-TBI study

Clinical Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/0269215517734294 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 692-704 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Camille Chesnel ◽

Claire Jourdan ◽

Eleonore Bayen ◽

Idir Ghout ◽

Emmanuelle Darnoux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Chronic Phase ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Severe Tbi

Objective: To evaluate the patient’s awareness of his or her difficulties in the chronic phase of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to determine the factors related to poor awareness. Design/Setting/Subjects: This study was part of a larger prospective inception cohort study of patients with severe TBI in the Parisian region (PariS-TBI study). Intervention/Main measures: Evaluation was carried out at four years and included the Brain Injury Complaint Questionnaire (BICoQ) completed by the patient and his or her relative as well as the evaluation of impairments, disability and quality of life. Results: A total of 90 patient-relative pairs were included. Lack of awareness was measured using the unawareness index that corresponded to the number of discordant results between the patient and relative in the direction of under evaluation of difficulties by the patient. The only significant relationship found with lack of awareness was the subjective burden perceived by the relative (Zarit Burden Inventory) ( r = 0.5; P < 0.00001). There was no significant relationship between lack of awareness and injury severity, pre-injury socio-demographic data, cognitive impairments, mood disorders, functional independence (Barthel index), global disability (Glasgow Outcome Scale), return to work at four years or quality of life (Quality Of Life after Brain Injury scale (QOLIBRI)). Conclusion: Lack of awareness four years post severe TBI was not related to the severity of the initial trauma, sociodemographic data, the severity of impairments, limitations of activity and participation, or the patient’s quality of life. However, poor awareness did significantly influence the weight of the burden perceived by the relative.

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Early diagnosis of mortality using admission CT perfusion in severe traumatic brain injury patients (ACT-TBI): protocol for a prospective cohort study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047305 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. e047305

Author(s):

Susan Alcock ◽

Divjeet Batoo ◽

Sudharsana Rao Ande ◽

Rob Grierson ◽

Marco Essig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Early Diagnosis ◽

Hospital Mortality ◽

Brain Death ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Health Research ◽

Ct Perfusion ◽

Severe Tbi

IntroductionSevere traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a catastrophic neurological condition with significant economic burden. Early in-hospital mortality (<48 hours) with severe TBI is estimated at 50%. Several clinical examinations exist to determine brain death; however, most are difficult to elicit in the acute setting in patients with severe TBI. Having a definitive assessment tool would help predict early in-hospital mortality in this population. CT perfusion (CTP) has shown promise diagnosing early in-hospital mortality in patients with severe TBI and other populations. The purpose of this study is to validate admission CTP features of brain death relative to the clinical examination outcome for characterizing early in-hospital mortality in patients with severe TBI.Methods and analysisThe Early Diagnosis of Mortality using Admission CT Perfusion in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Patients study, is a prospective cohort study in patients with severe TBI funded by a grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Adults aged 18 or older, with evidence of a severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8 before initial resuscitation) and, on mechanical ventilation at the time of imaging are eligible. Patients will undergo CTP at the time of first imaging on their hospital admission. Admission CTP compares with the reference standard of an accepted bedside clinical assessment for brainstem function. Deferred consent will be used. The primary outcome is a binary outcome of mortality (dead) or survival (not dead) in the first 48 hours of admission. The planned sample size for achieving a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 95% with a CI of ±5% is 200 patients.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board. The findings from our study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and presentations at local rounds, national and international conferences. The public will be informed through forums at the end of the study.Trial registration numberNCT04318665

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Critical Update on the Third Edition of the Guidelines for Managing Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Children

American Journal of Critical Care ◽

10.4037/ajcc2020228 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. e13-e18

Author(s):

Karin Reuter-Rice ◽

Elise Christoferson

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Critical Care ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Care Providers ◽

The Third ◽

Guideline Document ◽

Severe Tbi ◽

Pediatric Tbi

Background Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with high rates of death and disability. As a result, the revised guidelines for the management of pediatric severe TBI address some of the previous gaps in pediatric TBI evidence and management strategies targeted to promote overall health outcomes. Objectives To provide highlights of the most important updates featured in the third edition of the guidelines for the management of pediatric severe TBI. These highlights can help critical care providers apply the most current and appropriate therapies for children with severe TBI. Methods and Results After a brief overview of the process behind identifying the evidence to support the third edition guidelines, both relevant and new recommendations from the guidelines are outlined to provide critical care providers with the most current management approaches needed for children with severe TBI. Recommendations for neuroimaging, hyperosmolar therapy, analgesics and sedatives, seizure prophylaxis, ventilation therapies, temperature control/hypothermia, nutrition, and corticosteroids are provided. In addition, the complete guideline document and its accompanying algorithm for recommended therapies are available electronically and are referenced within this article. Conclusions The evidence base for treating pediatric TBI is increasing and provides the basis for high-quality care. This article provides critical care providers with a quick reference to the current evidence when caring for a child with a severe TBI. In addition, it provides direct access links to the comprehensive guideline document and algorithms developed to support critical care providers.

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Microglia: A Potential Drug Target for Traumatic Axonal Injury

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/2021/5554824 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Xin Huang ◽

Wendong You ◽

Yuanrun Zhu ◽

Kangli Xu ◽

Xiaofeng Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Drug Target ◽

Microglial Activation ◽

Axonal Injury ◽

Traumatic Axonal Injury ◽

Potential Drug Target ◽

Potential Drug ◽

Microglial Phenotype ◽

M2 Phenotype

Traumatic axonal injury (TAI) is a major cause of death and disability among patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, no effective therapies have been developed to treat this disorder. Neuroinflammation accompanying microglial activation after TBI is likely to be an important factor in TAI. In this review, we summarize the current research in this field, and recent studies suggest that microglial activation plays an important role in TAI development. We discuss several drugs and therapies that may aid TAI recovery by modulating the microglial phenotype following TBI. Based on the findings of recent studies, we conclude that the promotion of active microglia to the M2 phenotype is a potential drug target for the treatment of TAI.

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Blunt cerebrovascular injuries in severe traumatic brain injury: incidence, risk factors, and evolution

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2016.4.jns152600 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 127 (1) ◽

pp. 16-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Pierre Esnault ◽

Mickaël Cardinale ◽

Henry Boret ◽

Erwan D'Aranda ◽

Ambroise Montcriol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Anticoagulation Therapy ◽

Spine Injury ◽

Hemorrhagic Complication ◽

Injury Incidence ◽

Severe Tbi ◽

Systemic Anticoagulation

OBJECTIVEBlunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs) affect approximately 1% of patients with blunt trauma. An antithrombotic or anticoagulation therapy is recommended to prevent the occurrence or recurrence of neurovascular events. This treatment has to be carefully considered after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), due to the risk of intracranial hemorrhage expansion. Thus, the physician in charge of the patient is confronted with a hemorrhagic and ischemic risk. The main objective of this study was to determine the incidence of BCVI after severe TBI.METHODSThe authors conducted a prospective, observational, single-center study including all patients with severe TBI admitted in the trauma center. Diagnosis of BCVI was performed using a 64-channel multidetector CT. Characteristics of the patients, CT scan results, and outcomes were collected. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed to determine the risk factors of BCVI. Patients in whom BCVI was diagnosed were treated with systemic anticoagulation.RESULTSIn total, 228 patients with severe TBI who were treated over a period of 7 years were included. The incidence of BCVI was 9.2%. The main risk factors were as follows: motorcycle crash (OR 8.2, 95% CI 1.9–34.8), fracture involving the carotid canal (OR 11.7, 95% CI 1.7–80.9), cervical spine injury (OR 13.5, 95% CI 3.1–59.4), thoracic trauma (OR 7.3, 95% CI 1.1–51.2), and hepatic lesion (OR 13.3, 95% CI 2.1–84.5). Among survivors, 82% of patients with BCVI received systemic anticoagulation therapy, beginning at a median of Day 1.5. The overall stroke rate was 19%. One patient had an intracranial hemorrhagic complication.CONCLUSIONSBlunt cerebrovascular injuries are frequent after severe TBI (incidence 9.2%). The main risk factors are high-velocity lesions and injuries near cervical arteries.

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Severe traumatic brain injury management in Tanzania: analysis of a prospective cohort

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2020.8.jns201243 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Halinder S. Mangat ◽

Xian Wu ◽

Linda M. Gerber ◽

Hamisi K. Shabani ◽

Albert Lazaro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Emergency Department ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Ct Scanning ◽

Core Model ◽

Middle Income ◽

Tertiary Referral Center ◽

Severe Tbi ◽

Medical Therapies

OBJECTIVEGiven the high burden of neurotrauma in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), in this observational study, the authors evaluated the treatment and outcomes of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) accessing care at the national neurosurgical institute in Tanzania.METHODSA neurotrauma registry was established at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar-es-Salaam, and patients with severe TBI admitted within 24 hours of injury were included. Detailed emergency department and subsequent medical and surgical management of patients was recorded. Two-week mortality was measured and compared with estimates of predicted mortality computed with admission clinical variables using the Corticoid Randomisation After Significant Head Injury (CRASH) core model.RESULTSIn total, 462 patients (mean age 33.9 years) with severe TBI were enrolled over 4.5 years; 89% of patients were male. The mean time to arrival to the hospital after injury was 8 hours; 48.7% of patients had advanced airway management in the emergency department, 55% underwent cranial CT scanning, and 19.9% underwent surgical intervention. Tiered medical therapies for intracranial hypertension were used in less than 50% of patients. The observed 2-week mortality was 67%, which was 24% higher than expected based on the CRASH core model.CONCLUSIONSThe 2-week mortality from severe TBI at a tertiary referral center in Tanzania was 67%, which was significantly higher than the predicted estimates. The higher mortality was related to gaps in the continuum of care of patients with severe TBI, including cardiorespiratory monitoring, resuscitation, neuroimaging, and surgical rates, along with lower rates of utilization of available medical therapies. In ongoing work, the authors are attempting to identify reasons associated with the gaps in care to implement programmatic improvements. Capacity building by twinning provides an avenue for acquiring data to accurately estimate local needs and direct programmatic education and interventions to reduce excess in-hospital mortality from TBI.

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