Articles: traumatic-brain-injuries.
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Weight drop models in rodents have been used for several decades to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury. Weight drop models have been used to replicate focal cerebral contusion as well as diffuse brain injury characterized by axonal damage. More recently, closed head injury models with free head rotation have been developed to model sports concussions, which feature functional disturbances in the absence of overt brain damage assessed by conventional imaging techniques. ⋯ In the second part, we describe the development of our own weight drop closed head injury model that features impact plus rapid downward head rotation, no structural brain injury, and long-term cognitive deficits in the case of multiple injuries. This rodent model was developed to reproduce key aspects of sports concussion so that a mechanistic understanding of how long-term cognitive deficits might develop will eventually follow. Such knowledge is hoped to impact athletes and war fighters and others who suffer concussive head injuries by leading to targeted therapies aimed at preventing cognitive and other neurological sequelae in these high-risk groups.
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Morphologic features of computed tomography (CT) scans of the brain can be used to estimate intracranial pressure (ICP) via an image-processing algorithm. Clinically, such estimations can be used to prognosticate outcomes and avoid placement of invasive intracranial monitors in certain patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Features on a CT scan that may correlate with measurements of low ICP are sought. ⋯ This method permits a noninvasive means of identifying patients who are low risk for having elevated ICP; by following Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines strictly such a patient may be subjected to an unnecessary, invasive procedure. This work is a promising pilot study that will need to be analyzed for a larger population.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2016
Early Changes in Brain Oxygen Tension May Predict Outcome Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
We report on the change in brain oxygen tension (PbtO2) over the first 24 h of monitoring in a series of 25 patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and relate this to outcome. The trend in PbtO2 for the whole group was to increase with time (mean PbtO2 17.4 [1.75] vs 24.7 [1.60] mmHg, first- vs last-hour data, respectively; p = 0.002). However, a significant increase in PbtO2 occurred in only 17 patients (68 %), all surviving to intensive care unit discharge (p = 0.006). ⋯ The cumulative length of time that PbtO2 was <20 mmHg was not significantly different among these three groups. In conclusion, although for the cohort as a whole PbtO2 increased over the first 24 h, the individual trends of PbtO2 were related to outcome. There was a significant association between improving PbtO2 and survival, despite these patients having cumulative durations of hypoxia similar to those of non-survivors.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2016
Can Optimal Cerebral Perfusion Pressure in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Be Calculated Based on Minute-by-Minute Data Monitoring?
The concept of CPPopt, a variable cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) target based on cerebrovascular autoregulatory capacity in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), is promising. CPPopt calculation is based on the continuous plotting of the pressure reactivity Index (PRx) against CPP and requires processing of waveform quality data. The aim of this study is to investigate whether CPPopt can also be calculated based on minute-by-minute data. ⋯ CPPopt calculation based on standard resolution data compared well with PRx-based CPPopt and may represent a promising alternative method, avoiding the need for waveform quality data capture. Further validation of this new method is required.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2016
Comparative StudyOutcome, Pressure Reactivity and Optimal Cerebral Perfusion Pressure Calculation in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comparison of Two Variants.
This study investigates the outcome prediction and calculation of optimal cerebral perfusion pressure (CPPopt) in 307 patients after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) based on cerebrovascular reactivity calculation of a moving correlation correlation coefficient, named PRx, between mean arterial pressure (ABP) and intracranial pressure (ICP). The correlation coefficient was calculated from simultaneously recorded data using different frequencies. PRx was calculated from oscillations between 0.008 and 0.05Hz and the longPRx (L-PRx) was calculated from oscillations between 0.0008 and 0.016 Hz. ⋯ Severe disability was associated with CPP above CPPopt (PRx). These relationships were not statistically significant for CPPopt (L-PRx). We conclude that PRx and L-PRx cannot be used interchangeably.