Health outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in caregivers of service members and veterans with traumatic brain injury.

Purpose: To examine change in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during the COVID-19 pandemic in caregivers of service members/veterans (SMVs) with traumatic brain injury (TBI), by comparing HRQOL during the first year of the pandemic to HRQOL 12 months pre-pandemic.

Methods: Caregivers (N = 246) were classified into three COVID-19 Pandemic Impact groups based on impact ratings of the pandemic on HRQOL: No Impact (n = 50), Mild Impact (n = 117), and Moderate-Severe Impact (n = 79). Caregivers completed 19 measures across physical, social, caregiving, and economic HRQOL domains, and a measure of SMV Adjustment.

Associations of mTBI and post-traumatic stress to amygdala structure and functional connectivity in military Service Members.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the highest public health priorities, especially among military personnel where comorbidity with post-traumatic stress symptoms and resulting consequences is high. Brain injury and post-traumatic stress symptoms are both characterized by dysfunctional brain networks, with the amygdala specifically implicated as a region with both structural and functional abnormalities.

Methods: This study examined the structural volumetrics and resting state functional connectivity of 68 Active Duty Service Members with or without chronic mild TBI (mTBI) and comorbid symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS).

Exploring the relationship between sleep apnea and vestibular symptoms following traumatic brain injury.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex health problem in military veterans and service members (V/SM) that often involves comorbid vestibular impairment. Sleep apnea is another comorbidity that may exacerbate, and/or be exacerbated by, vestibular dysfunction.

Objective: To examine the relationship between sleep apnea and vestibular symptoms in V/SM diagnosed with TBI of any severity.

Covalent Fragment Inhibits RhoA Activation by Guanine Exchange Factors.

Ras homolog gene family member (RhoA) is a GTPase and a member of the RAS superfamily of GTPases. RhoA is a master regulator of the actin cytoskeleton. It inhibits axon growth preventing repair and recovery following spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

Effect of xenon on brain injury, neurological outcome, and survival in patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage-study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a neurological emergency, affecting a younger population than individuals experiencing an ischemic stroke; aSAH is associated with a high risk of mortality and permanent disability. The noble gas xenon has been shown to possess neuroprotective properties as demonstrated in numerous preclinical animal studies. In addition, a recent study demonstrated that xenon could attenuate a white matter injury after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Elevated Serum Tau and UCHL-1 Concentrations Within 12 Months of Injury Predict Neurobehavioral Functioning 2 or More Years Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Longitudinal Study.

Objective: Blood-based biomarkers have received considerable attention for their diagnostic and prognostic value in the acute and postacute period following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of this study was to examine whether blood-based biomarker concentrations within the first 12 months of TBI can predict neurobehavioral outcome in the chronic phase of the recovery trajectory.

Setting: Inpatient and outpatient wards from 3 military medical treatment facilities.

An Emotion-Driven Vocal Biomarker-Based PTSD Screening Tool.

This paper introduces an automated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening tool that could potentially be used as a self-assessment or inserted into routine medical visits to aid in PTSD diagnosis and treatment. With an emotion estimation algorithm providing arousal (excited to calm) and valence (pleasure to displeasure) levels through discourse, we select regions of the acoustic signal that are most salient for PTSD detection. Our algorithm was tested on a subset of data from the DVBIC-TBICoE TBI Study, which contains PTSD Check List Civilian (PCL-C) assessment scores.

Sociodemographic distribution and correlates of nonfatal unintentional non-traffic-related injuries in Kenya: Results from the 2014 demographic and health survey.

Background And Aim: Injuries are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. There exists a paucity of nationally representative injury data from the sub-Saharan African region on the nature of injuries outside of road traffic contexts. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of nonfatal unintentional injuries that occurred outside of the traffic environment among persons aged 15-54 years in Kenya.

Committee on Surgical Combat Casualty Care position statement: Neurosurgical capability for the optimal management of traumatic brain injury during deployed operations.

Background: Experiences over the last three decades of war have demonstrated a high incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting in a persistent need for a neurosurgical capability within the deployed theater of operations. Despite this, no doctrinal requirement for a deployed neurosurgical capability exists. Through an iterative process, the Joint Trauma System Committee on Surgical Combat Casualty Care (CoSCCC) developed a position statement to inform medical and nonmedical military leaders about the risks of the lack of a specialized neurosurgical capability.

Venous thromboembolism risk among pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury: a nationwide study of 44,128 patients.

Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) chemoprophylaxis in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) requires balancing the risk of progression of intracranial bleeding versus the risk of VTE. The identification of VTE risk factors requires analysis of a very large data set. This case-control study aimed to identify VTE risk factors in pediatric patients with TBI in order to develop a TBI-specific association model that can be used for VTE risk stratification in this population.

The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Diagnostic Criteria for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: To develop new diagnostic criteria for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that are appropriate for use across the lifespan and in sports, civilian trauma, and military settings.

Design: Rapid evidence reviews on 12 clinical questions and Delphi method for expert consensus.

Participants: The Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Brain Injury Special Interest Group convened a Working Group of 17 members and an external interdisciplinary expert panel of 32 clinician-scientists.

Impact of depression and post-traumatic stress on manual and oculomotor performance in service members with a history of mild TBI.

Objective: To determine the impact of depression and post-traumatic stress on an automated oculomotor and manual measure of visual attention, compared to conventional neuropsychological assessment. Setting: Military traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation program.

Participants: 188 Active Duty Service Members (ADSM) with a history of mild TBI.

Therapeutic Relationship in mTBI Rehabilitation: The Disparity Between the Illness Experience and Clinical Definitions.

Introduction: A positive therapeutic relationship is characterized by trust and mutually perceived genuineness. It is positively associated with patients' adherence to treatment, satisfaction, and health outcomes. When service members with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) present to rehabilitation clinics with nonspecific symptoms, a disparity between their experience of disability and clinical expectations of mTBI may disrupt the establishment of a positive therapeutic relationship between patients and providers.

Neuropsychological deficit profiles for service members with mild traumatic brain injury.

Background: Neuropsychological deficits are generally assessed in terms of absolute level of functioning, e.g. high average, average, low average, although there is increased interest in calculating indices of relative degree of decline, e.

Cognition, emotional state, and quality of life of survivors after cardiac arrest with rhythmic and periodic EEG patterns.

Aim: Rhythmic and periodic patterns (RPPs) on the electroencephalogram (EEG) in comatose patients after cardiac arrest have been associated with high case fatality rates. A good neurological outcome according to the Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC) has been reported in up to 10% of cases. Data on cognitive, emotional, and quality of life outcomes are lacking.

Neural stem and progenitor cells support and protect adult hippocampal function via vascular endothelial growth factor secretion.

Adult neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) reside in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus throughout the lifespan of most mammalian species. In addition to generating new neurons, NSPCs may alter their niche via secretion of growth factors and cytokines. We recently showed that adult DG NSPCs secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is critical for maintaining adult neurogenesis.

Causes of fatal traumatic brain injury in Finland.

Objective: The phenotype of patients who suffer fatal traumatic brain injury (TBI) is poorly characterized. The authors examined the external causes, contributing diseases, and preinjury medication in adult patients with fatal TBI in a nationwide Finnish cohort.

Methods: Deaths caused by TBIs in Finland were examined among decedents aged ≥ 16 years during 2005-2020 from the national Cause of Death Registry.

Prevalence and risk factors of burden among caregivers of older emergency department patients.

The number of older individuals that live independently at home is rising. These older individuals often rely on caregivers who have a similar age and health status. Therefore, caregivers may experience a high burden.

MRI factors associated with cognitive functioning after acute onset brain injury: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Impairments of memory, attention, and executive functioning are frequently reported after acute onset brain injury. MRI markers hold potential to contribute to identification of patients at risk for cognitive impairments and clarification of mechanisms. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize and value the evidence on MRI markers of memory, attention, and executive functioning after acute onset brain injury.

Effect of Post-traumatic Amnesia Duration on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) First Year Hospital Costs: A Veterans Affairs Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

Objective: To examine the association between severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) as measured by duration of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) and first year hospitalization costs for service members and veterans (SMVs) treated for TBI at Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (PRCs) within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Design: Multivariable models of merged datasets from the VA TBI Model Systems (VA TBIMS) national database containing TBI clinical characterization including PTA with VHA hospital cost data.

Setting: Five VA PRCs.

Trajectories of interleukin 10 and heart fatty acid-binding protein levels in traumatic brain injury patients with or without extracranial injuries.

Background: Interleukin 10 (IL-10) and heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) have gained interest as diagnostic biomarkers of traumatic brain injury (TBI), but factors affecting their blood levels in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI are largely unknown.

Objective: To investigate the trajectories of IL-10 and H-FABP between TBI patients with and without extracranial injuries (ECI); to investigate if there is a correlation between the levels of IL-10 and H-FABP with the levels of inflammation/infection markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocytes; and to investigate if there is a correlation between the admission level of H-FABP with admission levels of cardiac injury markers, troponin (TnT), creatine kinase (CK), and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme mass (CK-MBm).

Materials And Methods: The admission levels of IL-10, H-FABP, CRP, and leukocytes were measured within 24 h post-TBI and on days 1, 2, 3, and 7 after TBI.

Mortality Prediction in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Using Traditional and Machine Learning Algorithms.

Prognostic prediction of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in patients is crucial in clinical decision and health care policy making. This study aimed to develop and validate prediction models for in-hospital mortality after severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI). We developed and validated logistic regression (LR), LASSO regression, and machine learning (ML) algorithms including support vector machines (SVM) and XGBoost models.

Neurological and (neuro)psychological sequelae in intensive care and general ward COVID-19 survivors.

Background And Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects the brain, leading to long-term complaints. Studies combining brain abnormalities with objective and subjective consequences are lacking. Long-term structural brain abnormalities, neurological and (neuro)psychological consequences in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) or general ward were investigated.

Effect of intracranial pressure on photoplethysmographic waveform in different cerebral perfusion territories: A computational study.

Intracranial photoplethysmography (PPG) signals can be measured from extracranial sites using wearable sensors and may enable long-term non-invasive monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP). However, it is still unknown if ICP changes can lead to waveform changes in intracranial PPG signals. To investigate the effect of ICP changes on the waveform of intracranial PPG signals of different cerebral perfusion territories.