Traumatic Brain Injury Group
Traumatic Brain Injury group
The research group is studying different aspects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI is one of the most important causes of death and disability among young adults in high income countries such as Norway, and the incidence rate is steadily increasing in developing countries. TBI affects physical, cognitive, emotional, and social functioning.
History and leadership
TBI research was initiated at Department of Neurosurgery in 2003, with the gradual expansion of multidisciplinary research into a large research group in 2010: Trondheim TBI group. The TBI group includes clinicians and researchers from many different departments at St. Olavs University Hospital and NTNU. The group was headed by professor Anne Vik 2010-2021 with professor Asta Håberg being the leader of advanced MRI. During these years the group had 13 PhD dissertations and several post docs. Professor Toril Skandsen is the head from fall 2021. The group has many national and international collaborators.
The TBI group has a special interest in diffuse axonal injury (DAI; white matter lesions), now increasingly called traumatic axonal injury (TAI). We use imaging methods with emphasis on MRI from the acute to the chronic phase. Advanced MRI techniques such as fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may be useful tools to compare axonal injury and functional deficits after head injury. We also collect blood samples for analyses of blood biomarkers in our research.
The Trondheim moderate and severe TBI Study is an on-going cohort study from 2004 with comprehensive data collection from the scene of accident, through the acute phase and up to five years after the injury. Research topics include prehospital management, neurosurgery and intensive care, neuroimaging, rehabilitation, and outcome.
In the project Trondheim mild TBI Study are patients examined using MRI within 72 hours, blood samples for analyses of biomarkers and neuropsychological testing repeatedly during the first year after the injury. Trauma and healthy controls are also included. Several treatment studies are ongoing.
The research group has also participated in the large-scale EU study (2014-2021): CENTER-TBI: https://www.center-tbi.eu/ Our center was one of the top recruiting centers in MRI Sub-study with more extensive follow ups.
The research group is the coordinating center for an ERA-NET Neuron study TAI-MRI (2017-2021): A New Traumatic Axonal Injury Classification Scheme based on Clinical and Improved MR Imaging Biomarkers. The study is funded by EU and National Research Councils (NFR) and have 4 other partners: Cambridge University, Antwerp University, Antwerp University Hospital and Radboud University.