Imaging of Glial Activation and Risk for Post-Traumatic Epilepsy
This study plans to evaluate the time course of inflammation in the brain after a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury using positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging. Patients will undergo PET scans of the brain at two weeks and two months after injury to measure neuro-inflammation. The results of the PET scans will be analyzed and correlated with the risk of post-traumatic epilepsy.
• Acute Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Age 18-100 are eligible
• Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 3-13 without continuous sedation at time of enrollment
• Ability to enroll within 72 hours of injury
• Hemorrhagic contusional injuries to frontal and/or temporal lobes.
• Polytrauma including long bone fractures, blunt trauma, abdominal trauma or similar will be allowed
• Penetrating TBI if continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) is feasible and survival for 2 years is feasible, recognizing that MRI may not be feasible with some forms of penetrating trauma