Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity in Patients Victims of Traumatic Brain Injury. Literature Review

The present literature review aims to present the physiology of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) as well as its clinical course, conceptualizing them, and establishing its diagnosis and treatment. Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity is a rare syndrome, which often presents after an acute traumatic brain injury. Characterized by a hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, when diagnosed in its pure form, its symptomatologic presentation is through tachycardia, tachypnea, hyperthermia, hypertension, dystonia, and sialorrhea. The treatment of PSH is basically pharmacological, using central nervous system suppressors; however, the nonmedication approach is closely associated with a reduction in external stimuli, such as visual and auditory stimuli. Mismanagement can lead to the development of serious cardiovascular and diencephalic complications, and the need for neurosurgeons and neurointensivists to know about PSH is evident in order to provide a fast and accurate treatment of this syndrome.

To determine the effectiveness of antiepileptic drugs in treatment of acute traumatic brain injury for preventing seizure.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of antiepileptic drugs in treatment of acute traumatic brain injury for preventing seizure. Study Design: Cross Sectional Study. Setting: Ziauddin Hospital, North Campus, Karachi. Period: 2014 to 2016. Material & Methods: Eighty diagnosed cases of traumatic brain injury were included in this study. Patients were examined physically and neurological assessment, with mental status was assessed by Glasgow Coma scoring. A blood sample was taken and Computed tomography was performed. Antiepileptic therapy was given for a period of one week minimally or 10 days maximally and patients were assessed clinically for seizures. All information was collected in the predesign proforma. Results: The patients median age was 25[16-43]. There were 70% male and 30% female. Rate of seizure was 6.3% (5/80) cases mortality was observed 5% (4/80) cases. Rate of seizure was significantly high in patients who had moderate TBI as compare to mild TBI (p=0.016). It was also significantly high in those cases who had diabetes and IHD. Rate of mortality was significantly high in seizure cases (p=0.0005). Conclusion: Prophylactic antiepileptic drugs are effective in decreasing the risk of early post-traumatic seizures in acute traumatic brain injury.These drug may provide an important and alternative treatment option for seizure prevention in acute TBI patients and prevent further brain damage.

Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Serum Adhesion Molecules, and Serum Oxidative Stress in Patients with Acute Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Serum concentrations of adhesion molecules and oxidative stress is thought to participate in the pathobiology of secondary brain injury after acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). We aimed to study the hypothesis that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) both improves the adhesion molecules levels and antioxidant capacity. Methods: Thirty blood samples from ten patients after acute TBI were obtained after injury and before and after HBOT. Four patients received early HBOT started two weeks after injury, four patients received late HBOT started ten weeks after injury and two patients did not receive HBOT and served as control in this study. The HBOT patients received total 30 times HBOT in six weeks period. Results: Those serum biomarkers in patients with TBI had not significantly difference in glutathione (GSH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), soluble intercellular cell adhesion-molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) concentrations on admission between early HBOT, late HBOT, and control group (p = 0.916, p = 0.98, p = 0.306, and p = 0.548, respectively). Serum GSH levels were higher at 10 weeks after injury in the early HBOT group than in the late HBOT group and control group (mean, 1.40 μmol/L, 1.16 μmol/L, and 1.05 μmol/L, respectively). Then the serum GSH level was increased at 18 weeks after injury in the late HBOT group (mean, 1.49 μmol/L). However, there was only statistically significant difference at Weeks 18 (p = 0.916, p = 0.463, and p = 0.006, at Week 2, Week 10, and Week 18, respectively). Serum TBARS levels were decreased at 10 weeks after injury in the early HBOT group than in the late HBOT group and control group (mean, 11.21 μmol/L, 17.23 μmol/L, and 17.14 μmol/L, respectively). Then the serum TBARS level was decreased at 18 weeks after injury in the late HBOT group (mean, 12.06 μmol/L). There was statistically significant difference after HBOT (p = 0.98, p = 0.007, and p = 0.018, at Week 2, Week 10, and Week 18, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups on sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels from Week 2 to Week 18. Conclusions: HBOT can improve serum oxidative stress in patients after TBI. These molecules may be added as evaluation markers in clinical practice. Perhaps in the future it may also become part of the treatment of patients after acute traumatic brain injury. Further large-scale study may be warrant.

Pitch and Rhythm Perception and Verbal Short-Term Memory in Acute Traumatic Brain Injury

Music perception deficits are common following acquired brain injury due to stroke, epilepsy surgeries, and aneurysmal clipping. Few studies have examined these deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI), resulting in an under-diagnosis in this population. We aimed to (1) compare TBI patients to controls on pitch and rhythm perception during the acute phase; (2) determine whether pitch and rhythm perception disorders co-occur; (3) examine lateralization of injury in the context of pitch and rhythm perception; and (4) determine the relationship between verbal short-term memory (STM) and pitch and rhythm perception. Music perception was examined using the Scale and Rhythm tests of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia, in association with CT scans to identify lesion laterality. Verbal short-term memory was examined using Digit Span Forward. TBI patients had greater impairment than controls, with 43% demonstrating deficits in pitch perception, and 40% in rhythm perception. Deficits were greater with right hemisphere damage than left. Pitch and rhythm deficits co-occurred 31% of the time, suggesting partly dissociable networks. There was a dissociation between performance on verbal STM and pitch and rhythm perception 39 to 42% of the time (respectively), with most individuals (92%) demonstrating intact verbal STM, with impaired pitch or rhythm perception. The clinical implications of music perception deficits following TBI are discussed.

Prevalence of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency and its severity correlation with Acute Traumatic brain Injury in Indian Patients: A Perspective Observation Study

Objective: To study the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency pattern during three year (2017-2020) and severity correlation among individuals with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methodology: Subjects with acute TBI admitted from June 1st, 2017 through June 30th, 2020 were recruited. 280 out of 445 met inclusion criteria. The demographic injury related details, assessment of 25 OH vitamin D and Glasgow Comma (GCS) score were done at the time of admission. Results: The year wise enrolled subjects were young with mean age of 28.39±0.86 years with males (73.3%) and female (23.7%), in first year, 27.77±5.35 years with males (81.67%) and female (18.33%), in second year and 23.04±7.10 years with males (88.57%) and female (11.42%), in third years. Mean value of 25(OH) vitamin D in subjects during three years were 23.78±11.79ng/mL, 21.65±12.53 ng/mL and 25.18±18.58ng/mL. The vitamin D deficiency levels in this study were tabulated as: deficient (level <20 ng/mL), insufficient (level 20–29.9ng/mL), and sufficient (level ≥30ng/mL). Which were found during three years as: In First year, Deficient (64.44%), Sufficient (11.11%), insufficient (24.44%), in second years, Deficient (88.33%), Sufficient (2.66%), insufficient (10.00%) and in third year Deficient (88.57%), Sufficient (1.42%), insufficient (10.00%). In which sufficient level were found to be decreased statistically significant with years with P value= 0.0001. The severity assessment through GCS score were found to be statistically increased with deficient levels with P values=0.0447, but found no significance, when comparison were done between years wise GCS score and levels of vitamin D. Conclusion: The study found decreased prevalence of vitamin D deficiency levels with increased severity. Therefore it should be routinely screened and treated as indicated.