Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Oct 2020
Predicting neurological recovery following traumatic brain injury in children: a systematic review of prognostic models.
Predictive modeling is foundational to treatment and long-term management of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Assessment of injury severity in the acute-care setting enables early stratification of patients based on their risk of death, lifelong disability, or unfavorable outcome. This review evaluates predictive models that have been developed or validated for pediatric TBI patients. ⋯ Most studies solely focused on clinical variables, with two studies incorporating biochemical and imaging variables. Predictive models for pediatric TBI are primarily based on methods and variables identified in adult studies. Although adult models have proven effective in select pediatric cohorts, they may be suboptimal when compared with models derived or adjusted for children.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Oct 2020
Meta AnalysisA systematic review and meta-analysis of hypothermia in experimental traumatic brain injury: why have promising animal studies not been replicated in pragmatic clinical trials?
Therapeutic hypothermia was a mainstay of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) management for half a century. Recent trials have suggested that its effect on long-term functional outcome is neutral or negative, despite apparently promising pre-clinical data. Systematic review and meta-analysis is a useful tool to collate experimental data and investigate the basis of its conclusions. ⋯ Therapeutic hypothermia appears to be an efficacious treatment in experimental TBI, which differs from the clinical evidence. The pre-clinical literature showed limitations in quality and design and these both appeared to affect neurobehavioral experiment outcome. These should be acknowledged when designing and interpreting pre-clinical TBI studies in the future.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Oct 2020
ReviewClinical applications of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key mediators of cell-cell communication during homeostasis and in pathology. Central nervous system (CNS)-derived EVs contain cell type-specific surface markers and intralumenal protein, RNA, DNA, and metabolite cargo that can be used to assess the biochemical and molecular state of neurons and glia during neurological injury and disease. ⋯ Additionally, their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has implications for both EV-based diagnostic strategies and for potential EV-based therapeutics. In the present review, we discuss encouraging data for EV-based diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies in the context of TBI monitoring and management.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Oct 2020
Fluid Biomarkers of Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.
Public concern is growing about the short- and long-term effects of pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This concern is amplified because pediatric mTBI has the potential to go undiagnosed in acute care settings, placing children at increased risk for reinjury prior to complete recovery. ⋯ Our systematic review confirms the relative paucity of high-quality, clinically impactful diagnostic or prognostic fluid biomarker studies, on samples representing only a small fraction of pediatric mTBI. Ultimately, well-designed longitudinal studies across diverse points of care are needed to truly characterize the utility of fluid biomarkers of injury and recovery for the pediatric mTBI patient.