Long-term outcomes following traumatic brain injury
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Long-term outcomes following traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study
IRAS ID
311298
Contact name
Gabriele De Luca
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study addresses the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries. A traumatic brain injury is a head injury which results in symptoms of brain dysfunction. One in two people will experience a traumatic brain injury in their lifetime.
Suffering a traumatic brain injury significantly increases the risk of developing common neurological conditions in later life, including dementia, stroke, and epilepsy, as well as common psychiatric disorders such as depression. More research is needed to understand why this is the case and what can be done to reduce these risks.Recent studies have revealed important insights into the long-term effects of certain types of brain injuries, especially concussion. However, we still know very little about other types of brain injuries, including the most severe cases which involve direct damage to the brain caused by injuries that penetrate the skull.
To address this, we will study a uniquely detailed collection of information gathered over the lifetime of three thousand veterans who survived for decades after injury, including those with penetrating, or ‘open’, brain injuries. This information describes physical and mental health outcomes (in the form of previously collected archived research records), which we propose to link with information describing life expectancy (mortality data from central registers). Through this study, we aim to answer the following question:
What are the long-term effects of penetrating brain injuries on physical health, mental health, and life expectancy?
By answering this question, we hope to contribute towards improving the lives of people affected by traumatic brain injuries. This study will be the largest of its kind ever performed. Our results will be used to inform brain injury management guidelines, which currently do not provide guidance for people affected by penetrating brain injuries.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/SC/0201
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion