Neurocritical care
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Assessment of the default mode network (DMN) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may improve assessment of the level of consciousness in chronic brain injury, and therefore, fMRI may also have prognostic value in acute brain injury. However, fMRI is much more challenging in critically ill patients because of cardiovascular vulnerability, intravenous sedation, and artificial ventilation. ⋯ It is feasible to assess the DMN by resting-state fMRI in patients with acute brain injury already in the very early period of intensive care unit admission. Although preliminary data, all patients with a preserved DMN regained consciousness levels at follow-up compatible with MCS+ or better.
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Existing scoring systems for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients fail to accurately predict patient outcome. Our goal was to prospectively study the Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) score as applied to newly admitted aneurysmal SAH patients. ⋯ The FOUR score at admission and day 7 post-SAH is associated with mortality, 1-month GOS/mRS, and 6-month GOS/mRS. The FOUR score at day 14 post-SAH is associated with 6-month GOS. The brainstem sub-score was not associated with 1- or 6-month primary outcomes.
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β1 blockers increase the risk of cerebral hypoxia during acute anemia and apneic hypoxia. We hypothesized that β1 stimulants conversely increase cerebral tolerance to anemia and hypoxia. ⋯ Dobutamine increases cerebral oxygenation during hypoxia and/or anemia and might be effective in improving neurological outcomes in ischemic cerebral injury.
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Recovery of functional independence is possible in patients with brainstem traumatic axonal injury (TAI), also referred to as "grade 3 diffuse axonal injury," but acute prognostic biomarkers are lacking. We hypothesized that the extent of dorsal brainstem TAI measured by burden of traumatic microbleeds (TMBs) correlates with 1-year functional outcome more strongly than does ventral brainstem, corpus callosal, or global brain TMB burden. Further, we hypothesized that TMBs within brainstem nuclei of the ascending arousal network (AAN) correlate with 1-year outcome. ⋯ These findings suggest that dorsal brainstem TAI, especially involving AAN nuclei, may have greater prognostic utility than the total number of lesions in the brain or brainstem.
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The brain, due to intensive cellular processes and maintenance of electrochemical gradients, is heavily dependent on a constant supply of energy. Brain injury, and critical illness in general, induces a state of increased metabolism and catabolism, which has been proven to lead to poor outcomes. Of all the biochemical interventions undertaken in the ICU, providing nutritional support is perhaps one of the most undervalued, but potentially among the safest, and most effective interventions. ⋯ However, there are no such specific guidelines for the critically ill patient with neurological injury. Patients with primary or secondary neurological disorders are frequently undernourished, while data suggest this population would benefit from early and adequate nutritional support, although comprehensive clinical evidence is lacking. We review the joint recommendations from the Society for Critical Care Medicine and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, as they pertain to neurocritical care, and assess the recommendations for addressing nutrition in this patient population.