Neurotrauma reports最新文献

Recent studies have demonstrated a significant change in the epidemiology of injury fatalities in children, most notably a marked increase in firearm-related deaths. Few studies have specifically addressed pediatric TBI-related mortality trends. Studying these trends is important for both clinical preparedness and public health interventions. The purpose of this study therefore is to examine recent trends in mechanisms, intents, and rates of pediatric TBI fatalities. Data regarding fatalities from TBI for children <18 years of age from 2011 to 2021 were extracted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics' web-based injury statistics query and reporting system. We found that firearms became the leading cause of TBI fatalities in children by 2021, most frequently attributable to self-harm. Taken together, the findings from this study underscore the importance in monitoring the changing epidemiology of pediatric TBI fatalities.

Early functional outcome assessments of traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors may underestimate the long-term consequences of TBI. We assessed long-term temporal changes in functional outcome and quality of life in intensive care unit-managed long-term TBI survivors. This prospective, longitudinal study included 180 patients admitted to a single university hospital during 2000-2002 alive at 15 years post-TBI. Baseline characteristics, including imaging information, were collected. Functional outcome was assessed early (6-24 months) and late (15 years) using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and the extended GOS (GOSE). Quality of life was measured at 15 years using the EuroQol Five Dimensions Five Levels (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. GOS and GOSE were dichotomized into favorable and unfavorable outcome. An index score was computed for EQ-5D-5L results at 15 years by a standardized valuation protocol. Of 180 patients, 118 replied to 15-year questionnaires. Median age at time of injury was 34 years (interquartile range, 19-45). Using the GCS to assess TBI severity, 67% had a moderate-to-severe TBI. Ninety-seven percent had favorable early functional outcome, and 72% had late favorable functional outcome. Logistic regression found higher age, lower GCS, and Marshall CT III to significantly predict late unfavorable functional outcome. Higher age and Marshall CT III were significant predictors of functional outcome deterioration. Median EQ-5D-5L index score for all patients was 0.88 (0.66-1.00) and correlated positively with GOSE. Most long-term TBI survivors with early favorable outcome also have late favorable functional outcome. Higher age and diffuse brain injury are associated with neurological deterioration. Quality of life was strongly linked to functional outcome.

The long-term outcomes of patients with disorders of consciousness after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is unclear. We investigated the long-term outcomes over 20 years in patients who were in a persistent vegetative state (VS). We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a review of medical records and collected data by telephone and written interviews with patients and their families. We included patients who were treated for TBI at our hospital, between October 1996 and January 2003 and who were in a persistent VS, defined as a Disability Rating Scale (DRS) score of ≥22 at 1 month after TBI. The DRS was administered at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and then annually out to 20 years. We evaluated their clinical course until July 2021 with the DRS. We analyzed 35 patients in a persistent VS attributable to TBI. We were able to confirm the 20-year outcomes for 26 of the 35 patients (74%); at 20 years post-TBI, 19 (54%) patients were found to be deceased and 7 (20%) were alive. Over the 20-year study period, 23 of the 35 patients (65.7%) emerged from a persistent VS. Among the 35 patients in a persistent VS at 1 month post-TBI, 20 (57%) emerged from a persistent VS within 1 year, and 3 patients (8.6%) emerged from a persistent VS after more than a year after injury. DRS scores improved up to 9 years post-injury, whereas the change in DRS scores from 10 to 20 years post-injury was within ±1 point in all patients. We found that patients with persistent VS attributable to TBI may show improvement in functional disability up to 10 years post-injury. On the other hand, no substantial improvement in functional disability was observed after the 10th year.

E-bikes (electrical bicycles and scooters) have been increasingly used as a means of transportation, especially among young adults. E-bikers have more accidents, at higher velocities and more severe kinematics, increasing the rate of neurosurgical injuries. Severe neurosurgical injury patterns result in significant morbidity and mortality. We collected data regarding adult patients (>18 years old), who suffered e-bike-related neurosurgical injuries, in a single tertiary medical center in Israel, between July 2019 and June 2020. Fifty-eight consecutive patients were included in this study. The average age was 34.9, and the average Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score upon admission was 13.2 and was significantly lower in operated patients (10.75). Fifty-four patients were riders; 51 (94.5%!) were not wearing a helmet. Fifty percent of patients had multiple types of trauma. Six patients suffered a spinal injury. Sixteen patients required either cranial or spinal surgery. Three patients died, and 1 remained in a vegetative state. Median Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) score at follow-up was 7.1. Operated patients stayed significantly longer in the intensive care unit (ICU) and in the hospital, and their GOS-E scores at discharge and follow-up were significantly lower. Most spinal injuries underwent surgery. Patients who wore helmets had significantly higher GCS scores and a shorter stay in the ICU and hospital. The unacceptable reality of the careless use of this transportation and the unique kinematics lead to severe neurosurgical injuries, comorbidities, and even mortality. Our results reflect the risks of e-bikes in the adult population. Most of our patients were in the mid-age group, and almost none had used a helmet. The results of this study highlight the potential need for neurosurgical treatment, and the need for long-term rehabilitation and follow-up, reflecting the emotional and financial toll of these injuries. Once again, this study showed that helmets save lives and emphasized the importance of protecting our heads.

Brief episodes of low oxygen breathing (therapeutic acute intermittent hypoxia; tAIH) may serve as an effective plasticity-promoting primer to enhance the effects of transcutaneous spinal stimulation-enhanced walking therapy (WALK_tSTIM) in persons with chronic (>1 year) spinal cord injury (SCI). Pre-clinical studies in rodents with SCI show that tAIH and WALK_tSTIM therapies harness complementary mechanisms of plasticity to maximize walking recovery. Here, we present a multi-site clinical trial protocol designed to examine the influence of tAIH + WALK_tSTIM on walking recovery in persons with chronic SCI. We hypothesize that daily (eight sessions, 2 weeks) tAIH + WALK_tSTIM will elicit faster, more persistent improvements in walking recovery than either treatment alone. To test our hypothesis, we are conducting a placebo-controlled clinical trial on 60 SCI participants who randomly receive one of three interventions: tAIH + WALK_tSTIM; Placebo + WALK_tSTIM; and tAIH + WALK_tSHAM. Participants receive daily tAIH (fifteen 90-sec episodes at 10% O₂ with 60-sec intervals at 21% O₂) or daily placebo (fifteen 90-sec episodes at 21% O₂ with 60-sec intervals at 21% O₂) before a 45-min session of WALK_tSTIM or WALK_tSHAM. Our primary outcome measures assess walking speed (10-Meter Walk Test), endurance (6-Minute Walk Test), and balance (Timed Up and Go Test). For safety, we also measure pain levels, spasticity, sleep behavior, cognition, and rates of systemic hypertension and autonomic dysreflexia. Assessments occur before, during, and after sessions, as well as at 1, 4, and 8 weeks post-intervention. Results from this study extend our understanding of the functional benefits of tAIH priming by investigating its capacity to boost the neuromodulatory effects of transcutaneous spinal stimulation on restoring walking after SCI. Given that there is no known cure for SCI and no single treatment is sufficient to overcome walking deficits, there is a critical need for combinatorial treatments that accelerate and anchor walking gains in persons with lifelong SCI.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05563103.

Sixty-nine million traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are reported worldwide each year, and, of those, close to 3 million occur in the United States. In addition to neurobehavioral and cognitive deficits, TBI induces other maladaptive behaviors, such as agitation and aggression, which must be managed for safe, accurate assessment and effective treatment of the patient. The use of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) in TBI is supported by some expert guidelines, which suggests that they are an important part of the pharmacological armamentarium to be used in the management of agitation. Despite the advantages of APDs after TBI, there are significant disadvantages that may not be fully appreciated clinically during decision making because of the lack of a readily available updated compendium. Hence, the aim of this review is to integrate the existing findings and present the current state of APD use in pre-clinical models of TBI. The studies discussed were identified through PubMed and the University of Pittsburgh Library System search strategies and reveal that APDs, particularly those with dopamine₂ (D₂) receptor antagonism, generally impair the recovery process in rodents of both sexes and, in some instances, attenuate the potential benefits of neurorehabilitation. We believe that the compilation of findings represented by this exhaustive review of pre-clinical TBI + APD models can serve as a convenient source for guiding informed decisions by critical care clinicians and physiatrists contemplating APD use for patients exhibiting agitation.