Traumatic Brain Injury PART TWO: Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury and Applications in Pediatrics-Video: TBI 2

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In a recent webinar, Dr. Grace Lai, a pediatric neurosurgeon, explored the use of biomarkers for diagnosing traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children. Dr. Lai highlighted the significant burden of TBI in children, noting a CDC report from 2022 where 3.2% of children under 17 were diagnosed with a concussion or brain injury. She discussed grading TBIs using the Glasgow Coma Scale and decision-making guidelines like PCARN for when to conduct CT scans in children, aiming to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure.<br /><br />Biomarkers, such as UCHL1 and GFAP, have emerged as potential tools to predict CT findings in mild TBI cases, having already been FDA-approved for adults. Dr. Lai reviewed pivotal studies demonstrating their high sensitivity in adults and ongoing research for their application in pediatric cases, highlighting their predictive value for both TBI diagnosis and outcomes.<br /><br />She also presented on future applications, such as aiding clinical decision-making in CT scans and assessing concussion risks in pediatric athletics. Dr. Lai emphasized the importance of clinical and collaborative research efforts to advance pediatric care and reduce diagnostic radiation exposure in children.

Keywords

pediatric neurosurgery

traumatic brain injury

biomarkers

Glasgow Coma Scale

UCHL1 and GFAP

CT scan guidelines

pediatric concussion