Leveraging Nationwide Research Infrastructure to Enrich Brain Health After TBI: The ENRICH Brain Health Study
Abstract
OVERALL PROGRAM: LEveraging Nationwide Research Infrastructure to EnriCH Brain Health after TBI: The ENRICH Brain Health Study Responsiveness to Fiscal Year 2021 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program Focused Program Award Focus Areas: The ENRICH Brain Health Study will address three of the Focus Areas. Our work will help Understand early life, injury, and biological factors that influence long-term cognitive and psychological health outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We will use clinical assessments, blood tests, and brain imaging to identify biological markers for early diagnosis and clinical categorization of post-TBI clinical subtypes. To Prevent adverse brain health outcomes, we will determine how a TBI can initiate or worsen neurological pathways underlying cognitive and psychological health decline and identify risk factors for cognitive decline and suicide. This research program will pave the way to identify new ways to Treat TBI and psychological health outcomes. Critical Problems and Questions to be Addressed: Over 20% of adults in the United States have experienced at least one TBI, and rates of TBI are even higher (67%) among military Veterans. TBI is associated with an increased risk for dementia, and those with TBI are at greater risk for suicide compared to the general population. Right now, it is not possible to predict recovery after TBI, but we know that injury severity alone does not predict these important outcomes. Few studies have considered the impact of early life and pre-injury factors (like childhood stress or health problems before the TBI) on risk for cognitive decline or suicide after TBI. Right now, there are no clinical biomarkers (such as clinical assessments, blood tests, or imaging signs) that can predict or track cognitive decline or suicide risk, and we don’t understand how a TBI contributes to neurodegeneration in some survivors. Because of these gaps in knowledge, there are missed opportunities for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. Finally, inaccurate information about long-term outcomes after TBI can cause worry or stress, and we believe that people with lived experience need to be included in every part of the research process to ensure research results are widely shared and used to advocate for care and services. Impact of Proposed Project: The ENRICH Brain Health Study will leverage existing research infrastructure, large-scale datasets, and brain autopsy protocols that have taken years to develop. Building upon resources that are already in place allows us to conduct a broad program of research that will lead to measurable improvements in TBI care. This study will improve early diagnosis, match people with TBI to treatments designed to target their unique challenges, identify new types of treatments, and identify new opportunities to prevent suicide. We have partnered with stakeholders including community-based organizations and national advocacy groups across the United States to design a program of research that complements other large-scale civilian and Veteran TBI research efforts. By including individuals with lived experience as full collaborators on our research team, we will conduct scientifically rigorous research that addresses the key challenges identified by people with TBI and their loved ones. The results of the ENRICH Brain Health Study will directly improve health for individuals with TBI and their families, and we will partner with national organizations to advocate for civilians, Service Members, and Veterans with TBI to receive the care they deserve. Overview of the Project: We will conduct five projects to understand and improve long-term cognitive and psychological health after TBI. Project 1 will ensure that every stage of the ENRICH Brain Health study reflects the priorities and recommendations of people with lived experience. Project 2 will leverage data from civilians and Veterans in the TBI Model
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2210999
Entities
People
- Kristen Dams-o Connor
Organizations
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- United States Army