Study of Brain Blood Flow and Thinking Skills After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Adults Aged 18 to 80

What this Trial Is About

Cognitive impairment following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury msTBI affects quality of life and increases risk of dementia. This study aims to understand how acute cerebrovascular injury and its recovery within the first year relate to cognitive outcomes at 12 months after msTBI. Researchers will explore cerebrovascular contributions to cognitive decline and provide data to help develop strategies targeting vascular mechanisms to improve cognition and prevent neurodegeneration after msTBI. Participants include 100 adults with a single moderate to severe TBI and 30 orthopedic trauma controls. Cerebrovascular function will be measured during the acute stage within one week post-injury and at 3, 6, and 12 months using techniques like cerebral blood flow ultrasonography, transcranial Doppler, near-infrared spectroscopy, and beat-to-beat blood pressure monitoring. Brain imaging with MRI will assess brain volume and axonal integrity at 3 and 12 months. Throughout the study, participants will undergo cognitive and clinical assessments including the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery, Glasgow Outcome Score-Extended, and quality of life measures. Researchers will collect data on brain structure, cognitive performance, and functional outcomes over 12 months. This longitudinal research will improve understanding of cerebrovascular effects on cognition and help guide future treatments to slow neurodegeneration after msTBI.

Cerebral Autoregulation, Brain Perfusion, and Neurocognitive Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury