Cerebral Autoregulation, Brain Perfusion, and Neurocognitive Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Summary
Cognitive impairment after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) not only significantly affects the quality of life in individuals with msTBI, but also increases the possibility of late-life dementia. The goal of this study is to determine whether acute (\< 1 week) cerebrovascular injury and its recovery within the first year postinjury measured by cerebral autoregulation and brain perfusion are associated with cognitive outcome at 12 months after msTBI. The results from this study will improve our understanding of cerebrovascular contributions to cognitive decline related to TBI and provide critical data to inform the development of strategies based on vascular mechanisms to improve cognition and prevent neurodegeneration after msTBI.
Description
Nonfatal traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability in adults, with an estimated economic cost of approximately $40.6 billion for the US population. The quality of life of TBI survivors is highly dependent on the extent of cognitive recovery after injury. Of note, about 65% of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) survivors continue to experience cognitive symptoms including impaired memory, slow processing speed, and poor attention span years after injury, with broad individual variability. Epidemiological studies also suggest that TBI is a risk factor for Alzhe…