Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2021
Coagulopathy as a surrogate of severity of injury in penetrating brain injury.
Penetrating brain injury (PBI) is the most devastating type of traumatic brain injury. Development of coagulopathy in the acute setting of PBI, though common, remains of unclear significance as does its reversal. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between coagulopathy and clinical presentation, radiographical features, and outcome in civilian patients with PBI. ⋯ However, in our limited sample, reversal of coagulopathy at 24 h was not associated with a statistically significant improvement in outcome. The triad of coagulopathy, low post-resuscitation GCS, and radiographical effacement of basal cisterns identify a particularly ominous phenotype of PBI. The role, and potential reversal of, coagulopathy in this group warrants further investigation.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2021
Preliminary Report: Localized cerebral blood flow mediates the relationship between progesterone and perceived stress symptoms among female collegiate club athletes after mild traumatic brain injury.
Female athletes are under-studied in the field of concussion research, despite evidence of higher injury prevalence and longer recovery time. Hormonal fluctuations caused by the natural menstrual cycle (MC) or hormonal contraceptive (HC) use impact both post-injury symptoms and neuroimaging findings, but the relationships among hormone, symptoms, and brain-based measures have not been jointly considered in concussion studies. In this preliminary study, we compared cerebral blood flow (CBF) measured with arterial spin labeling between concussed female club athletes 3-10 days after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and demographic, HC/MC matched controls (CON). ⋯ Higher progesterone was associated with lower (more normative) PSS, as well as higher (more normative) CBF. CBF mediates 100% of the relationship between progesterone and PSS (Sobel p value = 0.017). These findings support a hypothesis for progesterone having a neuroprotective role after concussion and highlight the importance of controlling for the effects of sex hormones in future concussion studies.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2021
Evaluation of Tissue-Level Brain Injury Metrics Using Species-Specific Simulations.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant public health burden, and the development of advanced countermeasures to mitigate and prevent these injuries during automotive, sports, and military impact events requires an understanding of the intracranial mechanisms related to TBI. In this study, the efficacy of tissue-level injury metrics for predicting TBI was evaluated using finite element reconstructions from a comprehensive, multi-species TBI database. The database consisted of human volunteer tests, laboratory-reconstructed head impacts from sports, in vivo non-human primate (NHP) tests, and in vivo pig tests. ⋯ The current study is the first to provide evidence to support the assumption that brain strain response between human, pig, and NHP result in similar injury outcomes through a multi-species analysis. This assumption is the biomechanical foundation for translating animal brain injury findings to humans. The findings in the study provide fundamental guidelines for developing injury criteria that would contribute towards the innovation of more effective safety countermeasures.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2021
Concussion and Risk of Chronic Medical and Behavioral Health Comorbidities.
While chronic neurological effects from concussion have been studied widely, little is known about possible links between concussion and long-term medical and behavioral comorbidities. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 9205 adult patients with concussion, matched to non-concussion controls from a hospital-based electronic medical registry. Patients with comorbidities before the index visit were excluded. ⋯ The risks for post-concussion comorbidities were also higher in patients under 40 years old compared with controls. Patients with concussion demonstrated an increased risk of development of medical and behavioral health comorbidities. Prospective studies are warranted to better describe the burden of long-term comorbidities in patients with concussion.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2021
Serum neuron-specific enolase levels associated with connectivity alterations in anterior default mode network after mild traumatic brain injury.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is the most prevalent neurological insult and leads to long-lasting cognitive impairment. Neuroimaging studies have discovered abnormalities in brain network connectivity following mTBI as the underlying neural basis of cognitive deficits. However, the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in imaging alterations remain elusive. ⋯ In addition, efficiency and degree centrality of anterior DMN were negatively associated with working memory. Our study showed neuronal injury was associated with alterations in brain network connectivity after mTBI. These findings can facilitate capability to predict the brain functional outcomes and cognitive recovery in mTBI.