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SHARE: Focus on Traumatic Brain Injury Research
NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Workshop

Bethesda, MD
January 22-23, 2024

Public feedback requested

**Traumatic brain injury (TBI)** occurs when external physical forces cause damage to the brain, whether from impact, penetrating objects, blast waves or rapid movement of the brain within the skull.  TBI severity has been classified as mild, moderate or severe based primarily on the Glasgow Coma Scale in combination with an assessment of periods of loss/alterations of consciousness and imaging scans of the brain.  The classification of mild TBI also includes**concussion**, commonly defined as a transient alteration of brain function after exposure to external physical forces. While short-term TBI can be life threatening in some cases, TBI also can have long-term sequelae including **cognitive dysfunction, pain, sleep disorders and physical disability** collectively known as the **post-concussion syndrome** **(PCS).**PCS results when various symptoms of TBI last weeks, months or more than a year following the TBI incident.  **Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)** is a delayed neurodegenerative disorder that was initially identified in postmortem brains and, research-to-date suggests, is caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries. NINDS supports ongoing efforts to refine diagnostic criteria for both CTE (postmortem diagnosis) and the associated Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome (TES; diagnosis in the living).


  Image
              Photo of brain MRI scan. Focus On Traumatic Brain Injury banner image. Credit: Shutterstock
The TBI program at NINDS provides support and funds to extramural researchers studying basic, clinical and translational TBI research. NINDS-funded research includes studies to understand mechanisms of TBI and its sequelae, preclinical and clinical studies for diagnosis, prognosis, potential therapeutics, and other aspects of TBI.

Additional general information about TBI can be found at the NINDS TBI Disorder information page.


  
Estimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and Disease Categories

Research/Disease Areas*
			FY 2013
			(Actual)
			FY 2014
			(Actual)
			FY 2015
			(Actual)
			FY 2016
			(Actual)
			FY 2017
			(Actual)
			FY 2018
			(Actual)
			FY 2019
			(Actual)
			FY 2020
			(Actual)
			FY 2021 
			(Estimated)
			FY 2022 
			(Estimated)Injury - Traumatic Brain Injury
			$88
			$87
			$93
			$105
			$116
			$133
			$134
			$179
			$184
			$192

*Dollars in millions and rounded

*To learn more about this NIH Investment, please visit the Categorical Spending site and enter "Injury - Traumatic Brain Injury".*

Image
              Computer with shield - representing data security.
Sharing TBI Data

NINDS strongly encourages researchers who receive funding from the Institute to use these common data elements (CDEs) in their clinical research.

TBI specific CDEs can be found at:NINDS CDE for Traumatic Brain Injury
	A comprehensive list of CDEs from across NIH can be found at the National Library of Medicine (NLM)’sNIH CDE repository
	Utilizations of CDEs for reporting both clinical and preclinical findings is a good practice that will help researchers in compliance with data sharing tools in the future.
	NIH will implement theData Management and Sharing Policy in 2023.For more information, please visit:

NIH Scientific Data Sharing​​​​
	NINDS Data Sharing: Information for Applicants and AwardeesData Sharing repositories supported by NINDS****

**Clinical data:****FITBIR**(FITBIR Data Sharing Policy)​​​​​​The Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research (FITBIR)Informatics System is an extensible, scalable informatics platform for TBI relevant data (medical imaging, clinical assessment, environmental and behavioral history, etc.) and for all data types (text, numeric, image, time series, etc.). FITBIR was developed to share data across the entire TBI research field and to facilitate collaboration between laboratories, as well as interconnectivity with other informatics platforms. Sharing data, methodologies, and associated tools, rather than summaries or interpretations of this information, can accelerate research progress by allowing re-analysis of data, as well as re-aggregation, integration, and rigorous comparison with other data, tools, and methods. This community-wide sharing requires common data definitions and standards, as well as comprehensive and coherent informatics approaches.
	The FITBIR Informatics System is a database developed by the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health to share data, associated tools and methodologies. NINDS has specific FITBIR requirements for larger Clinical Research studies.
	**Preclinical Data:****ODC-TBI**In partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has led efforts to develop standards for preclinical research data in TBI. Experts in preclinical TBI research from academia were invited to participate in TBI Preclinical Working Groups with the goal of developing TBI common data elements (CDEs) for preclinical research and to establish guidance for the utilization of preclinical CDEs in TBI research. The outcomes of these working groups have been reported by Smith et al. 2015and LaPlaca et al. 2021. NINDS is continuing to lead these efforts for preclinical CDE development and refinement in partnership with the DoD and Veterans Affairs (VA) through the VA-funded interagency resource centerPRECISE-TBI.The primary objective for developing preclinical CDEs is to produce a well-defined lexicon for describing and reporting how preclinical data are collected with the goal of enhancing rigor, reproducibility and transparency in study performance. The goal of CDEs is to develop a tool to improve standardization of data collection such that experimental details and procedures are reported in a standard transparent manner that allows for rigor and reproducibility. Additionally, it is important for data to be collected, reported and curated in a standardized manner and format that will allow TBI researchers to share data across sites and reuse data for either secondary analyses or big data analyses.
	Preclinical TBI researchers are referred to utilize the interagency resource center known as PRE Clinical Interagency reSearch resourcE-TBI****(**PRECISE-TBI**)****center and to house their data in the Open Data Commons – Traumatic Brain Injury (ODC-TBI) repository.

Related Federal Programs

NFL Grant for TBI
	The Administration for Community Living (ACL) for Traumatic Brain Injury
	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion and Heads UP
	Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program (PH/TBIRP)
	U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation R&D Services for Traumatic Brain Injury
	National Research Action Plan
	Focus on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias at NINDSProceedings & Outcomes

NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Workshop [Video Day 1 & Day 2] *January 22 - 23, 2024*| *In person Meeting*

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) 2022 Summit [Video Day 1& Day 2] *March 22 - 23, 2022*| *Virtual Meeting*

	TBI related session on Day 2: MED Special Topic: Post-TBI AD/ADRD
	Third Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research (FITBIR) Stakeholders Meeting*July 19, 2021|**NIH Videocast*
	The Neuropathological Diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE): Next Steps [Video Day 1 & Day 2] *November 6-7, 2019* | *Bethesda, MD*
	International Initiative For Traumatic Brain Injury Research (InTBIR) 2019 [Video Day 1 & Day 2]*October 24-25, 2019 | Bethesda, MD*
	Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury in Women [Summary(pdf, 613 KB)]  [Video Day 1 & Day 2]*December 18-19, 2017* | *Bethesda, MD*
	InTBIR 2017 [Summary(pdf, 538 KB)]*October 30-31, 2017* | *Rockville, MD*
	Environmental Sensor use for Quantifying Neural Exposure to Inertial and Blast Forces [Summary(pdf, 316 KB)]
	National Neurotrauma Society Ancillary Symposium*July 8, 2017* | *Snowbird, UT*
	Pediatric Concussion Workshop [Video Day 1 & Day 2]*October 13-14, 2016* | *North Bethesda, MD*
	Report: Sports & Health Research Stakeholders Meeting*March 31, 2015*
	Report from the First NIH Consensus Conference to Define the Neuropathological Criteria for the Diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy*February 2015*

Resources and Tools

Contacts

Hibah O. Awwad, Ph.D. | TBI Program Director, Basic & Translational TBI researchhibah.awwad@nih.gov

Nsini Umoh, Ph.D. | TBI Program Director, Clinical & Translational TBI researchnsini.umoh@nih.gov

Adele Doperalski, Ph.D.| Health Program Specialistadele.doperalski@nih.gov

Funding Opportunities

Traumatic Brain Injury Related Funding Opportunities

To receive regular updates on funding announcements and other opportunities, please join theNINDS TBI Research Listserv.

News & Events

**Upcoming News/Events**

NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Workshop in Bethesda, MD - January 22-23, 2024



**Past News/Events**

NINDS workshops at the 2023 Neurotrauma meeting in Austin, TX- June 25-28, 2023

Learn about upcoming ADRD funding opportunities(pdf, 924 KB) at NINDS - April 25, 2023 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM  ​

FITBIR Meta Study Module Webinar- February 07, 2023 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM [Video]

The Second NINDS/NIBIB Consensus Meeting to Define Neuropathological Criteria for the Diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome

NIH-funded workshop: “Identifying strategies to advance research on traumatic brain injury’s effect on women”

NIH scientists watch the brain’s lining heal after a head injury

Study reveals gaps in follow-up care after concussion

Study finds worsening outcomes in service members five years after mild blast-induced concussion



Related Topics

National Research Action Plan(pdf, 2874 KB)

Executive Order: Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families (August 31, 2012)Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research (FITBIR)
The FITBIR Informatics System is a database developed by the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health to share data, associated tools and methodologies. NINDS has specific FITBIR Requirements for larger Clinical Research studies.

International Initiative for Traumatic Brain Injury Research (InTBIR)

InTBIR is a cooperative international effort to coordinate clinical research activities, increase data sharing, and leverage global research opportunities. Current Research
  
    

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