U.S. soldiers could benefit from $5.4 million dollars in grants for Pitt researchers. The federal money goes to a study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine evaluating whether a new imaging tool can accurately diagnose traumatic brain injuries.
Researchers will perform high definition fiber tracking (HDFT) On 240 soldiers who recently have suffered a TBI and in 60 uninjured volunteers. They hope to show that the imaging can identify fiber damage and correlate it with neurologic symptoms, including post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"Our preliminary research indicates that HDFT can reveal breaks in brain wiring, just like X-rays show us broken bones," principal Investigator Dr. David Okonkwo said. "That's a big step forward because knowing where the damage lies will allow us to better plan our treatments and give TBI patients more accurate predictions of the long-term prognosis."
Researchers will perform high definition fiber tracking (HDFT) On 240 soldiers who recently have suffered a TBI and in 60 uninjured volunteers. They hope to show that the imaging can identify fiber damage and correlate it with neurologic symptoms, including post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"Our preliminary research indicates that HDFT can reveal breaks in brain wiring, just like X-rays show us broken bones," principal Investigator Dr. David Okonkwo said. "That's a big step forward because knowing where the damage lies will allow us to better plan our treatments and give TBI patients more accurate predictions of the long-term prognosis."
