Articles: traumatic-brain-injuries.
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Injury epidemiology · Dec 2014
Association between concussion and mental health in former collegiate athletes.
The existing research on the association between concussion and mental health outcomes is largely limited to former professional athletes. This cross-sectional study estimated the association between recurrent concussion and depression, impulsivity, and aggression in former collegiate athletes. ⋯ Our study found an association between former concussion and greater risk of severe depression and higher levels of impulsivity and aggression among former collegiate athletes. Additional prospective studies better addressing causality and ascertaining valid lifetime concussion histories and medical histories are needed.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2014
Sex differences in the effect of progesterone after controlled cortical impact in adolescent mice: a preliminary study.
While progesterone has been well studied in experimental models of adult traumatic brain injury (TBI), it has not been evaluated in pediatric models. The study of promising interventions in pediatric TBI is important because children have the highest public health burden of such injuries. Therapies that are beneficial in adults may not necessarily be effective in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether progesterone treatment improves outcomes in an experimental model of pediatric TBI. ⋯ These data suggest a sex-specific effect of progesterone treatment after CCI in adolescent mice and could inform clinical trials in children.
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Injury epidemiology · Dec 2014
Outcomes of pediatric severe traumatic brain injury patients treated in adult trauma centers with and without added qualifications in pediatrics - United States, 2009.
Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important public health problem and little is known about site of care and outcomes of children with severe TBI. Across the country, most injured children are treated in adult trauma centers (ATCs). Recent literature suggests that ATCs with added qualifications in pediatrics (ATC-AQs) can have improved outcomes for pediatric trauma patients overall. This study characterizes the population of pediatric severe TBI patients treated at ATCs and investigates the effect of treatment at ATC-AQs versus ATCs on mortality. ⋯ After defining comparable populations, this study demonstrated no significant difference in mortality for pediatric severe TBI patients treated at ATC-AQs versus ATCs. Being younger, uninsured, and having severe injuries was associated with increased mortality. This study is limited by the exclusion of transferred patients and potentially underestimates differences in outcomes. Further research is needed to clarify the role of ATC additional pediatric qualifications in the treatment of severe TBI.
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Respir Physiol Neurobiol · Dec 2014
Respiratory responses following blast-induced traumatic brain injury in rats.
Blast overpressure (OB) injury in rodents has been employed for modeling the traumatic brain injury (TBI) induced by an improvised explosive device (IED) in military service personnel. IED's can cause respiratory arrest if directed at the thorax due to the fluid-tissue interface of the lungs but it is unclear what respiratory changes occur in a head-directed OB injury. ⋯ The breathing pattern of the rodents will be recorded during the OB injury. Our results indicate that a dorsal directed closed-head OB injury results in a neurally mediated apnea followed by respiratory timing changes.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Dec 2014
Changes in functional brain networks following sports related concussion in adolescents.
Sports-related concussion is a major public health issue; however, little is known about the underlying changes in functional brain networks in adolescents following injury. Our aim was to use the tools from graph theory to evaluate the changes in brain network properties following concussion in adolescent athletes. We recorded resting state electroencephalography (EEG) in 33 healthy adolescent athletes and 9 adolescent athletes with a clinical diagnosis of subacute concussion. ⋯ In addition, there was significant negative correlation between degree and hub value, with total symptom score at the electrode site corresponding to the (R) prefrontal cortex. This preliminary report in adolescent athletes shows for the first time that resting-state EEG combined with graph theoretical analysis may provide an objective method of evaluating changes in brain networks following concussion. This approach may be useful in identifying individuals at risk for future injury.