An update on traumatic brain injuries

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major cause of neurological mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Several challenges have been faced in the conduct of clinical research in TBI in past decades, including inclusion of a broad heterogeneity of injuries, difficulties with standardization and consistency of complex medical management, and lack of sophisticated outcomes measures to sufficiently detect differences in outcomes. Consequently, evidence-based guidelines for targeted therapeutic approaches remain for the most part at the level of Class II or III evidence. Harnessing the power of computing is paramount to our understanding of different prognostic groups in order to devise treatments of the future. Multimodality bedside monitoring of various physiological parameters and events can be deployed in the intensive care unit (ICU) but better data repositories and analytics are required. Recent developments in neuroimaging and definition of potential genetic and biological markers in TBI are also aiding in the sub-categorization of patients into finer diagnostic and prognostic groups. Using mathematical prediction models incorporating the plethora of data gathered, future research will provide means of tailoring therapies to individuals based upon best evidence in populations similar to them, and according to their own biological and physiological situation.