Advances in pediatric neurocritical care and neurosurgical techniques have improved overall survival rates for infants, children and adolescents who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, as these survivors age into adulthood, they develop persistent cognitive deficits, psychosocial problems, and motor abnormalities. In addition, the role of sex on the long term post-traumatic sequelae following pediatric TBI is not well understood.
The goal is to better understand the effects of different maturational stages of pediatric (infant, children, and adolescent) TBI on cognitive, psychosocial, and motor outcome in adult survivors. Another goal is to better understand whether sex influences these long-term outcomes following pediatric TBI. Children with brain trauma have difficulty in developing new cognitive skills such as learning ability. They have deficits in verbal working and visuo-spatial memory. Psychosocial problems such as depression, anxiety, decreased social competencies, aggression, and sleep disturbances become more apparent as they become older. Chronic motor deficits are also a concern. Studies on the role of sex at different stages of maturation and the role of circulating sex hormones, especially during the adolescent stages of TBI, may be important.
Both pre-clinical (animal) and clinical studies that have addressed the effects of pediatric TBI at different developmental stages (infant, child, and adolescent) on chronic outcome in adult survivors would be of interest.
Advances in pediatric neurocritical care and neurosurgical techniques have improved overall survival rates for infants, children and adolescents who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, as these survivors age into adulthood, they develop persistent cognitive deficits, psychosocial problems, and motor abnormalities. In addition, the role of sex on the long term post-traumatic sequelae following pediatric TBI is not well understood.
The goal is to better understand the effects of different maturational stages of pediatric (infant, children, and adolescent) TBI on cognitive, psychosocial, and motor outcome in adult survivors. Another goal is to better understand whether sex influences these long-term outcomes following pediatric TBI. Children with brain trauma have difficulty in developing new cognitive skills such as learning ability. They have deficits in verbal working and visuo-spatial memory. Psychosocial problems such as depression, anxiety, decreased social competencies, aggression, and sleep disturbances become more apparent as they become older. Chronic motor deficits are also a concern. Studies on the role of sex at different stages of maturation and the role of circulating sex hormones, especially during the adolescent stages of TBI, may be important.
Both pre-clinical (animal) and clinical studies that have addressed the effects of pediatric TBI at different developmental stages (infant, child, and adolescent) on chronic outcome in adult survivors would be of interest.