Traumatic Brain Injury Research
Goals & Description
The overarching goal of our laboratory is to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with traumatic brain injury.
To accomplish this goal we rely on a translational approach: both clinical and basic studies are used to identify and solve relevant research questions that might lead to improved diagnosis and therapeutics for this disease. Relevant questions are identified through studies of large numbers of human patients and examined in detail in animal models. Mechanistic insights gleaned through this approach may then allow for novel therapeutics that can then be developed for clinical trials.
Our clinical research infrastructure includes the emergency departments of the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and 5 other major medical centers in upstate New York (totaling 300,000 patients per year), the URMC Burn Trauma ICU, and undergraduate athletes from the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology. Clinical studies are coordinated by the division of Emergency Medicine Research located in the URMC Clinical and Translational Science Institute in the Saunders Research Building.
Our basic science research infrastructure consists of state of the art bench research facilities within the Center for Neural Development and Disease located in the URMC Medical Research Building. This lab is equipped with a temperature controlled ultra-centrifuge, microcentrifuge, -80C and -20C freezers, orbital shaker, vortexer, full set up to run western blots and DNA gels. Shared equipment includes pH meters, chemical, cell culture and biosafety hoods, cold rooms, a fully equipped dark room (with developer), confocal microscope set up, plate reader for ELISAs, DNA gel imager, 2D gel equipment and imagers, and a full set up (instruments, rooms) for the
small animal surgery.
Ongoing Projects
Changes in Brain White Matter after Multiple Sub-Concussive Head Blows
This study is designed to clarify the relationship between head injury impact forces and white matter changes on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), the clinical significance of these changes, the effect of rest on these changes, and the genetic determinants of recovery from these change
Learn more about Changes in Brain White Matter
Validation of Putative Serum Markers of Axonal Damage After Mild TBI
The goal of this study is to develop and validate a quantitative EEG algorithm that distinguishes mild TBI subjects from controls, and mild BI subjects with normal head CT scan from those with intracranial hemorrhage.
Learn more about Putative Serum Markers
Assessment of Head Injury in the ED: Clinical Validation of the Brain Scope Ahead M-100 (B-Ahead II Trial)
The goal of this study is to validate the safety and effectiveness of the BrainScope® Ahead M-100 system when used to aid in the triage of patients who are suspected of a traumatically induced structural brain injury and/or clinical manifestations of functional brain injury as compared to current standards of care.
New Interdisciplinary Approach to Improve Diagnosis of TBI: Combining Physics with Medical Imaging
This study will validate the wild bootstrapping approach to DTI image analysis by quantitative correlation with helmet impact forces acquired from football players at the University of Rocehster.
Learn more about Interdisciplinary Approach to Improve TBI diagnosis
Traumatic Brain Injury-induced Adaptation of High Density Lipoprotein Metabolism
The purpose of this study is to gain a more complete understanding of the alterations in peripheral lipid metabolism induced by mild TBI.
Learn more about High Density Lipoprotein Metabolism
A prospective Evaluation of Biomarkers of Mild, Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (ALERT)
The goal of this study is to evaluate the utility of the Banyan Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) / Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) Biomarkers Test as an aid in the diagnosis of TBI.
Recent Publications
Babcock L, Byczkowski T, Wade SL, Ho M, MS, Bazarian JJ. Inability of S100B to Predict Post-Concussion Syndrome in Children who Present to the Emergency Department with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Brief Report . Pediatric Emergency Care 2013 [In Press]
Marchi N, Bazarian JJ, Puvenna V, Janigro M, Ghosh C, Zhong J, Zhu T, Blackman E, Stewart D, Ellis J, Butler R, Janigro D. Consequences of repeated blood-brain barrier disruption in football players. PLOS One. 2013. [In Press ]
Archived Publications
Click here for a complete listing of recent faculty publications and articles in press.
Funding
| Source | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| NIH/NICHD | K24 | Validation of Putative Serum of Axonal Damage After Mild TBI. |
| NFL | Foundation | Grant to examine changes in brain white matter after multiple sub-concussive head blows. |
| University of Rochester Provost's Multidisciplinary Award | Foundation | New Interdisciplinary Approach to Improve Diagnosis of TBI: Combining Physics with medical Imaging. |
| BrainScope Company, Inc. | Foundation | Use of the BrainScope EEG for the identification and prognostication of ED patients with TBI. |
| BrainScope Company, Inc. | Foundation | Assessment of Head Injury in the ED: Clinical Validation of the BrainScope Ahead M-100 (B-AHEAD II Trial) |
| Banyan Biomarkers | Industry | A prospective evaluation of biomarkers of mild, moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (ALERT) |
Investigators
Research & Academic Newsletter
TBI Research Links
EM Research Program
(585) 275-1198
