Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jul 2012
Incidence and risk factors for post-traumatic hydrocephalus following decompressive craniectomy for intractable intracranial hypertension and evacuation of mass lesions.
There continues to be a considerable interest in decompressive craniectomy in the management of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Though technically straightforward, the procedure is not without significant complications. In this study we assessed the incidence and risk factors for the development of subdural hygroma and hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy. ⋯ Maximum intracranial pressure prior to decompression (p=0.005), subdural hygroma (p=0.012), and a lower admission Glasgow Coma Scale score (p=0.009), were significant risk factors for hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy. Hydrocephalus requiring a VP shunt was associated with a higher risk of unfavorable neurological outcomes at 18 months (odds ratio 7.46; 95%CI 1.17,47.4; p=0.033), after adjusting for other factors. Our results showed a clear association between injury severity, subdural hygroma, and hydrocephalus, suggesting that damage to the cerebrospinal fluid drainage pathways contributes to the primary brain injury rather than the margin of the craniectomy as the factor responsible for these complications.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jul 2012
Review Comparative StudyPharmacologic venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after traumatic brain injury: a critical literature review.
Despite the frequency and morbidity of venous thromboembolism (VTE) development after traumatic brain injury (TBI), no national standard of care exists to guide TBI caregivers for the use of prophylactic anticoagulation. Fears of iatrogenic propagation of intracranial hemorrhage patterns have led to a dearth of research in this field, and it is only relatively recently that studies dedicated to this question have been performed. These have generally been limited to retrospective and/or observational studies in which patients are classified in a binary fashion as having the presence or absence of intracranial blood. ⋯ This review seeks to critically assess the literature on this question by examining the existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis in the setting of elective craniotomy (as this is the closest model available from which to extrapolate) and after TBI. In doing so, we critique studies that approach TBI as a homogenous or a heterogenous study population. Finally, we propose our own theoretical protocol which stratifies patients into low, moderate, and high risk for the likelihood of natural progression of their hemorrhage pattern, and which allows one to tailor a unique VTE prophylaxis regimen to each individual arm.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jul 2012
Multicenter StudyUtilization and costs of health care after geriatric traumatic brain injury.
Despite the growing number of older adults experiencing traumatic brain injury (TBI), little information exists regarding their utilization and cost of health care services. Identifying patterns in the type of care received and determining their costs is an important first step toward understanding the return on investment and potential areas for improvement. We performed a health care utilization and cost analysis using the National Study on the Costs and Outcomes of Trauma (NSCOT) dataset. ⋯ In the unadjusted model index hospitalization costs and inpatient rehabilitation costs were significantly lower in the oldest age category, while outpatient care costs and nursing home stays were lower in the younger age categories. In the adjusted model, in addition to these cost drivers, re-hospitalization costs were significantly higher among those 75-84 years of age, and receipt of informal care from friends and family was significantly different, being lowest among those aged 65-74 years, and highest among those aged 75-84 years. Identifying variations in care that these patients are receiving and determining the costs versus benefits is an important next step in understanding potential areas for improvement.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jul 2012
In vitro stretch injury induces time- and severity-dependent alterations of STEP phosphorylation and proteolysis in neurons.
Striatal-enriched tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) has been identified as a component of physiological and pathophysiological signaling pathways mediated by N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor/calcineurin/calpain activation. Activation of these pathways produces a subsequent change in STEP isoform expression or activation via dephosphorylation. In this study, we evaluated changes in STEP phosphorylation and proteolysis in dissociated cortical neurons after sublethal and lethal mechanical injury using an in vitro stretch injury device. ⋯ Blocking calpain activation in the initial 30 min after stretch injury increases the ratio of active STEP in cells and blocks STEP(33) formation, suggesting that STEP is an early substrate of calpain after mechanical injury. There is a strong correlation between the amount of STEP(33) formed and the degree of cell death observed after lethal stretch injury. In summary, these data demonstrate that previously characterized pathways of STEP regulation via the NMDA receptor are generally conserved in mechanical injury, and suggest that calpain-mediated cleavage of STEP(33) should be further examined as an early marker of neuronal fate after stretch injury.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jul 2012
Multicenter StudyOne-year evolution of ulnar somatosensory potentials after trauma in 365 tetraplegic patients: early prediction of potential upper limb function.
Early prediction of hand function is crucial for efficient rehabilitation of cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). This study investigated correlations between ulnar somatosensory evoked potentials (ulnar SSEPs) and functional outcome of hand function following acute traumatic cervical cord injury. Neurological assessment of sensory scores and hand function were compared with five ulnar SSEP categories of similar persistence and quality in 365 patients throughout the first year after cSCI. ⋯ Additionally, an early prognostic group allocation by ulnar SSEP criteria at the first assessment stage within 4 weeks after spinal trauma allowed reliable prediction of hand function outcome after 1 year. We conclude that early assessment of ulnar SSEP as a non-invasive and objective neurophysiological test is a valuable marker of prospective hand function and independence 1 year after cSCI. This could be most relevant for planning neurorehabilitation, and in prospective clinical SCI trials.