BACKGROUND Geriatric trauma patients have a worse outcome than the young with comparable injuries. The contribution of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to this increased mortality is unknown and has been confounded by the presence of other injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of age in the mortality and early outcome from isolated TBI. METHODS This was a retrospective a...

BACKGROUND Survival and discharge status from severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients treated during the past 11 years in seven state-designated Level I trauma centers was analyzed to test for a relationship between patient volume and outcome. METHODS Data for patients age 16 years to 64 years were aggregated by quarter for years 2000 to 2010. TBI patients were identified using DRG Inter...

Previous studies have shown that pathological zinc accumulation and deposition of ubiquitinated protein aggregates are commonly detected in many acute neural injuries, such as trauma, epilepsy and ischemia. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we assessed the effect of zinc on ubiquitin conjugation and subsequent neurodegeration following traumatic brain injury (TBI). ...

Abreactive hypnosis, the key component of Ego State Therapy (EST), evolved from a psychodynamic understanding of personality as a product of an individual’s ego states [1-6]. Exposure to a traumatic event activates subcortical structures. Thus, trauma memories become encoded in the subcortical-subconscious brain regions. Watkins [7] foreshadowed a bottom-up explanation of the neurobiological un...

210 J Neurosurg / Volume 116 / January 2012 INTRACRANIAL hypertension following neurological injury is often associated with poor outcomes.13 Increased ICP reduces CBF and can lead to brain herniation and death. The Brain Trauma Foundation has recommended that therapy to reduce ICP should begin at pressures > 20 mm Hg. Hyperosmolar therapy is a commonly used treatment for intracranial hypertens...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of disability in modern society. The World Health Organization has predicted that, by 2020, traffic accidents will represent the greatest burden of global disease and injury. Brain injury after trauma occurs in two stages. Primary injury is directly associated with the biomechanical effects of the trauma, whereas secondary injury occurs la...

Each year in the United States, approximately 1.7 million people are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), about 75% of which are classified as mild TBIs or concussions. Although symptoms typically resolve in a matter of weeks, both children and adults may suffer from postconcussion syndrome for months or longer. A progressive tauopathy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is believed to...

Pediatric abusive head trauma – once commonly known as the shaken baby syndrome – is a form of child abuse that results in traumatic brain injury. The peak incidence of pediatric abusive head trauma appears to be in children between the ages of 2 to 4 months; the exact incidence of this injury is not known. Pediatric abusive head trauma often results in severe and permanent neurological damage,...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Fluid resuscitation in trauma patients could reduce organ failure, until blood components are available and hemorrhage is controlled. However, the ideal fluid resuscitation strategy in trauma patients remains a debated topic. Different types of trauma can require different types of fluids and different volume of infusion. RECENT FINDINGS There are few randomized controlled t...

Head injuries and the prevention of both the short-term and long-term consequences have received heightened awareness in recent years. Education and legislative efforts have promoted both appropriate treatment of concussion and pushed the use of helmets for protection from head injuries. Current scientific data would suggest that helmets are effective at decreasing the risk of serious head inju...