Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2016
ReviewHealth-Related Quality of Life after Pediatric Mild TBI and Concussion: A Systematic Review.
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an emerging method to quantify the consequences of pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)/concussion in both clinical practice and research. However, to utilize HRQOL measurements to their full potential in the context of mTBI/concussion recovery, a better understanding of the typical course of HRQOL after these injuries is needed. The objective of this study was to summarize current knowledge on HRQOL after pediatric mTBI/concussion and identify areas in need of further research. ⋯ HRQOL represents an important outcome measure in mTBI/concussion clinical practice and research. The evidence shows that a small but important proportion of patients have diminished HRQOL up to a year or longer post-injury. Further study on this topic is warranted to determine the typical longitudinal progression of HRQOL after pediatric concussion.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2016
Genome-Wide Changes in Peripheral Gene Expression following Sports-Related Concussion.
We conducted a prospective study to identify genome-wide changes in peripheral gene expression before and after sports-related concussion (SRC). A total of 253 collegiate contact athletes underwent collection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) before the sport season (baseline). Sixteen athletes who subsequently developed an SRC, along with 16 non-concussed teammate controls, underwent repeat collection of PBMCs within 6 h of injury (acutely). ⋯ In conclusion, acute post-SRC transcriptional changes reflect regulation of the innate immune response and the transition to adaptive immunity. By 7 days, transcriptional activity is centered on regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Future efforts to compare expressional changes in fully recovered athletes with those who do not recover from SRC could suggest putative targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2016
Observational StudyPredicting Outcomes after Severe and Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury: An External Validation of Impact and Crash Prognostic Models in a Large Spanish Cohort.
Prognostic models that were developed by the International Mission on Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in Traumatic Brain Injury (IMPACT) study group and the Corticosteroid Randomization After Signification Head injury (CRASH) collaborators are the most commonly used prognostic models for outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although they have been considered to be useful tools in clinical practice, a continuous process of external validation in recent cohorts of different populations is necessary. The objective of this study was to determine the external validity and compare the IMPACT and CRASH-refitted models for prediction of outcomes after moderate or severe TBI in a non-selected 1301-patient Spanish cohort. ⋯ In contrast, CRASH-refitted models provided higher predicted probabilities than those observed. We can conclude that both models demonstrate an adequate performance in our representative traumatic brain Mediterranean population. Therefore, these models can be sensibly applied in our clinical practice so long as their limitations are observed during individual outcome prediction.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2016
Core Outcomes and common Data Elements in Chronic Subdural Haematoma (CODE-CSDH): A systematic review of the literature focusing on baseline and peri-operative care data elements.
Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is an increasingly common subtype of head injury, especially in the elderly population. The optimization of treatment strategies has been hampered by the collection of heterogeneous outcome measures and data elements, precluding cross-study comparisons. This study aimed to quantify the heterogeneity of data elements in the pre-operative, operative, and post-operative phases of care, and build the basis for the development of a set of common data elements (CDEs) for CSDH. ⋯ There was variable reporting of surgical technique and post-operative care; 32 studies (31.4%) made no mention of whether the operations were performed under general or local anesthetic. This study, a part of the Core Outcomes and Common Data Elements in CSDH (CODE-CSDH) project, confirms and quantifies the heterogeneity of data elements collected and reported in CSDH studies to date. It establishes the basis for the consensus-based development of a set of common data elements, facilitating robust cross-study comparisons and resulting improvements in patient outcomes.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2016
Detection of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults with Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.
This study examined the prevalence of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the post-acute phase of recovery and whether GHD was associated with increased disability, decreased independence, and depression. A secondary objective was to determine the accuracy of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in predicting GHD in patients with TBI. Anterior pituitary function was assessed in 235 adult patients with TBI through evaluation of fasting morning hormone levels. ⋯ Symptoms of depression were also more prevalent in this group. In addition, patients with severe GHD had delayed admission to post-acute rehabilitation. This study confirms the high prevalence of GHD in patients with TBI and the necessity to monitor clinical symptoms and perform provocative testing to definitively diagnose GHD.