Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2022
Improving the Precision of the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended Using Item Response Theory: A TRACK-TBI Study.
The Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) is a functional outcome measure intended to place individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) into one of eight broad levels of injury-related disability. This simplicity is not always optimal, particularly when more granular assessment of individuals' injury recovery is desired. The GOSE, however, is customarily assessed using a multi-question interview that contains richer information than is reflected in the GOSE score. ⋯ Moreover, GOSE-IRT scores were significantly more strongly associated with measures of TBI-related symptoms, psychological symptoms, and quality of life. Our findings demonstrate that rescoring the GOSE interview using IRT yields more granular, meaningful measurement of injury-related functional limitations, while adding no additional respondent or examiner burden. This technique may have utility for many applications, such as clinical trials aiming to detect small treatment effects, and small-scale studies that need to maximize statistical efficiency.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2022
Meningeal and visual pathway MRI analysis after single and repetitive Closed-Head Impact Model of Engineered Rotational Acceleration (CHIMERA)-induced disruption in male and female mice.
The consequences of forceful rotational acceleration on the central nervous system are not fully understood. While traumatic brain injury (TBI) research primarily has focused on effects related to the brain parenchyma, reports of traumatic meningeal enhancement in TBI patients may possess clinical significance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the meninges and brain for changes in dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following closed-head impact model of engineered rotational acceleration (CHIMERA)-induced cerebral insult. ⋯ Astrogliosis was apparent in the OPT and SC with increased GFAP staining 7 days post-injury. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine meningeal integrity after CHIMERA in both male and female rodents. DCE-MRI may serve as a useful approach for pre-clinical models of meningeal injury that will enable further evaluation of the underlying mechanisms.