Decision Rules for an initial CT-scan in patients arriving to Emergency Department (ED) and presenting a mild traumatic brain injury could be optimized by the use of an objective parameter easily and rapidly measured. This may be the place for serum biomarkers providing a quick and accurate assessment. BioMérieux has now developed an automated assay for the measurement of serum Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase (UCH-L1), the VIDAS® TBI assay to fill out this unmet needs. The goal of the herein study is to generate real-world data and evidences to support the VIDAS® TBI performances.
Clinical trials, specifically focused on TBI, are crucial in assessing the safety and efficacy of new treatments. These trials serve as fundamental instruments in determining whether emerging medications outperform standard therapies, providing compelling evidence to support wider implementation. The main goal is to thoroughly scrutinize trial completion rates and voluntary withdrawals among this particular group of patients.
The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the use of sedative ketamine to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Veterans with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Efficacy of ketamine to reduce symptoms of depression and/or PTSD * Safety of ketamine to treat depression and/or PTSD in TBI Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either ketamine or midazolam (active placebo) twice a week for 3 weeks. During participation, subjects will be interviewed, have lab tests, and complete rating scales, and questionnaires.
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare pregnenolone and placebo (a placebo is a look-alike substance that contains no active drug) in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND)-Era Veterans with a history of chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does pregnenolone improve psychological health, overall physical function, cognition, symptoms of PTSD, and pain more than placebo over the 8-week study period, and what is the most effective dose of the drug that is safe and well-tolerated? * What are the biological effects of pregnenolone, and how do pregnenolone and other molecules change over the course of treatment? (and do pregnenolone and other molecules predict clinical improvement?) Participants who are eligible and consent to participate in the study will: * be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to take pregnenolone or placebo * be given pregnenolone or placebo to take each day at home * will participate in 6 visits over 11 weeks for tests, exams and procedures that are for study purposes (each visit will last 1.5 - 3 hours) * be evaluated at each visit to determine if there are any bad reactions to the study drug and if study participation is still appropriate * be financially compensated for their visit time and travel cost
For this clinical demonstration study, Veterans will be assessed with a battery of questionnaires/surveys and a 1:1 clinical interview with a V-TRACTS psychologist to target domains of head injury, psychological trauma, depression, suicidality, anxiety, chronic pain and sleep, substance use and activity level. V-TRACTS will convene a weekly consensus meeting to evaluate all the data, and develop a recommendation plan. After the consensus meeting, a V-TRACTS psychologist will provide comprehensive feedback encompassing the entire assessment battery. Additionally, if warranted, the investigators will offer an optional cognitive assessment, as well as rehabilitation options that the consensus committee targets the individual Veteran's needs and also via VA telehealth or other approved online service. It will be the Veteran's choice whether he/she wants to participate in any one or more of these options.
The most persistent and disabling postconcussive symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are sleep disturbances and cognitive dysfunction, with few tractable interventions currently available. Here, a novel therapy will be tested consisting of dietary supplementation with branched chain amino acids (BCAA), based on the study team's previous preclinical work showing restoration of glutamate neurotransmitter balance in sleep and memory circuits. Supplementation with Amino acid Rehabilitative Therapy in TBI (SmART-TBI) is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, exploratory clinical trial of BCAA intended to establish the feasibility, acceptability, and limited efficacy of long-term BCAA to improve sleep and cognition in Veterans with mTBI. These results will inform the optimal study design of a future, full-scale randomized controlled trial, including the identification of the proper dose and duration of BCAA to improve sleep and the potential subpopulations of Veterans with mTBI that may benefit the most.
This is a prospective study enrolling 5 patients with a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) without polytrauma and 5 patients with TBI with polytrauma admitted to the University of Kentucky (UK) Chandler Medical Center to evaluate differences in platelet bioenergetics in the populations. Additionally, five healthy subjects will be recruited to the control group.
The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the effectiveness of "RehaCom," a computerized treatment for memory deficits, in a 16-session, interactive course. Following a manualized approach, the Rehacom modules will be used for the repeated application of the content acquired during 1-on-1 memory strategy training. The goal is to improve face/name, list and verbal memory of patients who survived a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.
The purpose of this small, research study is to examine effectiveness of an at-home application of an experimental intervention, on thinking and memory in mild-moderate, closed-head, traumatic brain injury cases. The experimental intervention is light-emitting diode (LED) therapy, which is applied to the scalp and through the nose using a head frame device. Participants are expected to complete two, 5-week series of LED treatments, at home, 3 times a week. There will be a 1-month period between the two series. Each home treatment is 20 minutes. Participants will be trained to use the head frame device, in-office. The head frame device falls within the FDA category General Wellness, low-risk devices, and no medical claims are made. A two-hour paper and pencil testing (4 visits) and a one-hour MRI (3 visits) will be administered before and after each treatment series. Participants may be in the study for about 4 months. This study is supported by Vielight, Inc., Hayward, CA/ Toronto, Canada
Approaches and Decisions in Acute Pediatric TBI Trial (ADAPT) is an international research study designed to evaluate the impact of interventions on the outcomes of children with severe traumatic brain injury. Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading killer of children, resulting in more than 7000 deaths and $2 billion in acute care costs each year. Despite this large burden of disease, advances in the field have been limited due to weak evidenced-based guidelines and the limitations of randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) to demonstrate efficacy of single treatment strategies due to wide treatment variability. ADAPT is a practical study design in a novel approach - an observational cohort study designed to evaluate the association of 6 aspects of pediatric TBI care with outcomes using statistical modeling to correct for confounding variables. Completion of this study will provide compelling evidence to change clinical practices, provide evidence for new Level II recommendations for future guidelines and lead to improved research protocols that would limit variability in TBI treatments - helping children immediately through better clinical practices and ultimately through more effective investigation.