Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2013
Assessing the state of chronic spinal cord injury using diffusion tensor imaging.
The aim of this study was to quantify the association between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters of the cervical spinal cord and neurological disability in patients with chronic traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). A cervical spinal cord 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with DTI sequences was performed on 28 patients with chronic traumatic SCI and 40 healthy control subjects. DTI metrics, including fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), were calculated within the normal-appearing spinal cord area at levels C2 or C3. ⋯ DTI changes in regions that were remote from the site of primary injury were most likely the result of secondary degeneration of white matter tracts. Decreased FA values were correlated with poorer motor and sensory function, as well as a lack of independence in daily living. DTI is a promising quantitative and objective tool that may be used in the clinical assessment of patients with SCI.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyExposure of cyclosporin a in whole blood, cerebral spinal fluid, and brain extracellular fluid dialysate in adults with traumatic brain injury.
Cyclosporin A (CsA), an immunosuppressive medication traditionally used in the prevention of post-transplant rejection, is a promising neuroprotective agent for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Preliminary studies in animals and humans describe the efficacy and safety of CsA when administered following neurotrauma. The objective of this study is to describe CsA exposure in adults with severe TBI by assessing concentrations in whole blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and brain extracellular fluid (ECF) dialysate as measured by brain microdialysis. ⋯ CsA was detected in the blood, CSF, and brain ECF dialysate. CsA exposure characteristic differences exist for whole blood, CSF, and ECF dialysate in severe TBI patients when administered as a continuous intravenous infusion. These exposure characteristics should be used for safer CsA dose optimization to achieve target CsA concentrations for neuroprotection in future TBI studies.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2013
Subjective, but not Objective, Lingering Effects of Multiple Past Concussions in Adolescents.
The existing literature on lingering effects from concussions in children and adolescents is limited and mixed, and there are no clear answers for patients, clinicians, researchers, or policy makers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are lingering effects of past concussions in adolescent athletes. Participants in this study included 643 competitive Bantam and Midget hockey players (most elite 20% by division of play) between 13 and 17 years of age (mean age=15.5, SD=1.2). ⋯ Adolescent athletes with one or two or more prior concussions did not have significantly worse neurocognitive functioning on ImPACT than did those with no previous concussions. There were significantly more symptoms reported in those with two or more prior concussions than in those with no or one prior concussion. Adolescents with multiple previous concussions had higher levels of baseline symptoms, but there were not group differences in neurocognitive functioning using this brief computerized battery.
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Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) impose a significant burden on the health care system. The aim of the current study was to explore variation in costs in a group of rehabilitation patients in Victoria, Australia, following complicated mild-to-severe TBI treated under the accident compensation system administered by the Transport Accident Commission. Study participants included 1237 individuals with mild-to-severe TBI recruited consecutively from a TBI rehabilitation program. ⋯ Higher hospital and medical costs were associated with these factors, but also with other physical injuries, lower education, pre-injury unemployment, living outside the city, speaking English at home, and, in the case of medical costs, older age and having had pre-injury psychiatric treatment. Higher paramedical costs were associated with most of these variables, but also with being employed prior to injury and being female. In line with the multifaceted nature of TBI, the current findings suggest that both injury-related and demographic factors determine costs following injury.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2013
Rehabilitation outcome of unconscious traumatic brain injury patients.
Outcome prediction of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients with severe disorders of consciousness (DOC) at the end of their time in an intensive care setting is important for clinical decision making and counseling of relatives, and constitutes a major challenge. Even the question of what constitutes an improved outcome is controversially discussed. We have conducted a retrospective cohort study for the rehabilitation dynamics and outcome of TBI patients with DOC. ⋯ In conclusion, despite a strong negative selection, a substantial proportion of severe TBI patients with DOC achieve functional improvements or at least emerge from MCS within the inpatient rehabilitation phase. In order to avoid self-fulfilling prophecies in decision making, it is important to be aware of the fact that the beginning of clinical improvement may take several months after brain injury. In this study, separation of both of the functional outcome groups started by 7 weeks post-injury.