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Head Injury Serum Markers and Multimodalities for Assessing Response to Trauma (HeadSMART II) (Dr. Zubaid Rafique, BCM)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data on traumatic brain injury (TBI), about 2.5 million patients present to emergency departments around the U.S. and are diagnosed with TBI. It is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity around the world. TBI is a major public health concern because it can result in persistent or even life-long symptoms. While these symptoms can have a significant impact on the patient and family, there is no objective diagnostic test at the time of injury.
Until recently, physicians have focused on severe TBI that may require neurosurgical intervention. Patients with mild TBI have been neglected because they seemed relatively well-appearing. This discrepancy has resulted in a lack of understanding of the pathophysiology of mild TBI and its sequelae.
In a multicenter study, the principal investigators are collecting blood and monitoring clinical and neurocognitive performance to develop a diagnostic test for TBI. Furthermore, they are determining risk factors for prolonged post-concussive symptoms. Participants are followed for 90 days post injury to understand the symptomology of TBI.
The study is currently enrolling patients and hopes to improve the diagnosis and characterization of severity of TBI. By identifying the risk factors for long term sequelae, the study hopes to provide better care to patients who present to the ED with head trauma.