Cerebral Autoregulation, Brain Perfusion, and Neurocognitive Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury
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.
• Documented/Verified TBI (ACRM Criteria) (eg, motor vehicle (MV) occupant, MV pedestrian/cyclist, fall, other non-intentional, violence/assault)
• A documented moderate to severe TBI defined as: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) \< 13, or loss of consciousness (LOC) \> 30 minutes, or posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) \> 24 hours or intracranial neuroimaging abnormalities
• Between the age 18 - 80 year-old
• ≤ 1 week postinjury
• Acute brain CT for clinical care
• Admitted to the hospital for TBI
• Visual acuity/hearing adequate for testing
• Fluent in English or Spanish
• Patient or LAR ability to provide informed consent