Neuroprotection After Traumatic Brain Injury: Is There any Hope?

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), whatever its cause, is already<br /> associated usually with disability and death worldwide.[1] The<br /> mechanism of injury in TBI includes primary and secondary<br /> injuries. The primary brain injury usually appears just when<br /> the trauma is occurred. Common mechanisms comprise direct<br /> impact, rapid acceleration/deceleration, penetrating injury, and<br /> shock waves. The damage that results include a combination<br /> of focal contusions and hematomas, as well as shearing of<br /> white matter tracts (diffuse axonal injury) along with cerebral<br /> edema and swelling.[2] While effective in managing the primary<br /> injury to the brain and the skull, these treatment modalities<br /> do not address the complex secondary cascades that occur at<br /> a cellular level following initial injury and greatly affect the<br /> ultimate neurologic outcome.