Improving Treatments for Severe Brain Injury Research on the brain's blood flow might lead to improved recovery from severe head trauma. In more than half of these deaths, head injury is the leading factor. Each year, nearly 2 million Americans require medical attention for a brain injury. Of those injured, nearly 74,000 will have a long-term disability, and another 75,000 will die. Through a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, a diverse team of researchers is looking for new treatments to improve the long-term outcome of head injury patients.
Blood flow supplies the nutrients the brain needs to survive.
This reduced blood flow can cause additional damage to the already injured brain. As part of the five-year study, researchers will use a new technique to identify patients at greatest risk of additional brain injury. The technique, trans-cranial Doppler, uses an ultrasound of the brain's major blood vessels to reveal decreased blood flow. Although increasing the blood pressure can reduce additional brain injury, it causes an increased risk of lung problems. The Doppler will help us determine who can benefit most from increased blood pressure treatments.