Articles: traumatic-brain-injuries.
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Intubation of the neurologically injured patient is a critical procedure that must be done in a manner to prevent further neurologic injury. Although many different medications and techniques have been used to meet specific needs, there is little to no evidence to support many claims. ⋯ Ideal intubation conditions should be obtained through the use of airway manipulation techniques and appropriate medication choice for rapid sequence intubation in patients who are neurologically injured.
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The glymphatic system is a recently discovered macroscopic waste clearance system that utilizes a unique system of perivascular tunnels, formed by astroglial cells, to promote efficient elimination of soluble proteins and metabolites from the central nervous system. Besides waste elimination, the glymphatic system also facilitates brain-wide distribution of several compounds, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, growth factors, and neuromodulators. ⋯ Since the concept of the glymphatic system is relatively new, we will here review its basic structural elements, organization, regulation, and functions. We will also discuss recent studies indicating that glymphatic function is suppressed in various diseases and that failure of glymphatic function in turn might contribute to pathology in neurodegenerative disorders, traumatic brain injury and stroke.
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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) was chosen as an Emergency Neurological Life Support topic due to its frequency, the impact of early intervention on outcomes for patients with TBI, and the need for an organized approach to the care of such patients within the emergency setting. This protocol was designed to enumerate the practice steps that should be considered within the first critical hour of neurological injury.
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Human brain mapping · Dec 2015
Regional volumes in brain stem and cerebellum are associated with postural impairments in young brain-injured patients.
Many patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) suffer from postural control impairments that can profoundly affect daily life. The cerebellum and brain stem are crucial for the neural control of posture and have been shown to be vulnerable to primary and secondary structural consequences of TBI. The aim of this study was to investigate whether morphometric differences in the brain stem and cerebellum can account for impairments in static and dynamic postural control in TBI. ⋯ Moreover, across all participants, worse postural control performance was associated with lower WM volume in the pons, medulla, midbrain, superior and middle cerebellar peduncles and cerebellum. This is the first study in TBI patients to demonstrate an association between postural impairments and reduced volume in specific infratentorial brain areas. Volumetric measures of the brain stem and cerebellum may be valuable prognostic markers of the chronic neural pathology, which complicates rehabilitation of postural control in TBI.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Dec 2015
Multicenter Study Observational StudyThe impact of body mass index on severity, patterns and outcomes after traumatic brain injuries caused by low level falls.
Low level falls are a common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and are associated with significant mortality and disability. The aim of this study was to analyse whether BMI, height and weight of patients were related to severity, patterns and outcomes of TBI caused by low level falls. ⋯ We found no associations between BMI and severity or outcome of TBI caused by low level falls. More detailed data and further studies are needed to fully elucidate these complex relationships.