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Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in Critically Ill Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: Clinical Implications and
Ori J Lieberman1,2, Luisa Rojas-Valencia2,3, Edilberto Amorim1,2
1Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA.
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports
|July 4, 2026
Summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction, worsening outcomes for critically ill patients. Understanding GI tract pathology mechanisms is key to improving TBI patient care and recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to significant morbidity, mortality, and long-term disability.
- Beyond neurological damage, TBI triggers a systemic disease affecting multiple organ systems, notably the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence of GI tract dysfunction following TBI.
- To discuss the clinical implications of GI dysfunction in TBI patients, including nutritional support, pneumonia risk, and inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on TBI and GI tract pathology.
- Analysis of proposed mechanisms linking TBI to GI dysfunction.
Main Results:
- GI tract dysfunction is a recognized complication of TBI.
- Mechanisms include vagal nerve and enteric nervous system dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, sympathetic hyperactivity, and iatrogenic injury.
Conclusions:
- GI tract dysfunction plays a role in the pathophysiology of critically ill TBI patients.
- Targeting the GI tract offers potential therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes in this population.
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