Articles: brain-injuries.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialSerum biomarkers as predictors of long-term outcome in severe traumatic brain injury: analysis from a randomized placebo-controlled Phase II clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE There has been increased interest in the potential importance of biochemical parameters as predictors of outcome in severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI). METHODS Of 107 patients with sTBI (age 18-65 years with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 4-8 presenting within 8 hours after injury) who were randomized for a placebo-controlled Phase II trial of progesterone with or without hypothermia, the authors serially analyzed serum biomarkers (S100-B, glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], neuron-specific enolase [NSE], tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 [IL-6], estrogen [Eg], and progesterone [Pg]). This analysis was performed using the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique at admission and 7 days later for 86 patients, irrespective of assigned group. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Serial Pg, GFAP, and IL-6 monitoring could aid in prognosticating outcomes in patients with acute sTBI. A cause and effect relationship or a mere association of these biomarkers to outcome needs to be further studied for better understanding of the pathophysiology of sTBI and for choosing potential therapeutic targets. Clinical trial registration no.: CTRI/2009/091/000893 ( http://www.ctri.nic.in ).
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J Head Trauma Rehabil · Sep 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialFeasibility of a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention to Manage Fatigue in Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study.
To evaluate the feasibility of conducting a randomized clinical trial of an Internet-based manualized intervention to teach individuals with traumatic brain injury to manage their fatigue. ⋯ Findings from the study suggest that the MAX intervention is feasible to administer to individuals with post-traumatic brain injury fatigue.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Aug 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyExternal validation of the IMPACT prognostic models for traumatic brain injury on the SyNAPSe trial.
Prediction models for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are important for multiple reasons, including case-mix adjustment, trial design, and benchmarking for quality-of-care evaluation. Models should be generalizable and therefore require regular external validation. We aimed to validate the International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in TBI (IMPACT) prognostic models for moderate and severe TBI in a recent randomized controlled trial. ⋯ This pattern of miscalibration was consistent across all three models. In a contemporary trial setting, the IMPACT models have reasonable discrimination if enrollment restrictions apply. Observed changes in outcome distribution necessitate updating of previously developed prognostic models.
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Journal of physiotherapy · Jul 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyBallistic strength training compared with usual care for improving mobility following traumatic brain injury: protocol for a randomised, controlled trial.
Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of disability in young adults aged 15 to 45 years. Mobility limitations are prevalent, and range in severity from interfering with basic day-to-day tasks to restricting participation in higher level social, leisure, employment and sporting activities. Despite the prevalence and severity of physical impairments, such as poor balance and spasticity, the main contributor to mobility limitations following traumatic brain injury is low muscle power generation. Strengthening exercises that are performed quickly are termed 'ballistic' as they are aimed at improving the rate of force production and, hence, muscle power. This is compared with conventional strength training, which is performed slowly and aims to improve maximum force production, yet has limited impact on mobility. ⋯ Strength training in neurological rehabilitation is highly topical because muscle weakness has been identified as the primary impairment leading to mobility limitations in many neurological populations. This project represents the first international study of ballistic strength training after traumatic brain injury. The novelty of ballistic strength training is that the exercises attempt to replicate how lower limb muscles work, by targeting the high angular velocities attained during walking and higher level activities.
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J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad · Jul 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialComparison Of Efficacy Of Phenytoin And Levetiracetam For Prevention Of Early Post Traumatic Seizures.
The incidence of early post-traumatic seizures after civilian traumatic brain injury ranges 4-25%. The control of early post-traumatic seizure is mandatory because these acute insults may add secondary damage to the already damaged brain with poor outcome. Prophylactic use of anti-epileptic drugs have been found to be have variable efficacy against early post-traumatic seizures. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of Phenytion and Levetiracetam in prevention of early post-traumatic seizures in moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. ⋯ There is no statistically significant difference in the efficacy of Phenytoin and Levetiracetam in prophylaxis of early posttraumatic seizures in cases of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.