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Funding Boost Helps Bioengineers Predict Effects Of Traumatic Brain Injury
Researchers
at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI) have received
$150,000 from the Health Research Council for a project in
which they aim to transform our ability to understand,
predict and ultimately prevent the long-term impact of
traumatic brain injury. New Zealand has one of the
highest rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the
developed world, with almost 14,000 people being treated for
it annually, up to 90% of whom are considered in the mild
severity range (mTBI). Some recover quickly
from mTBI while others go on to experience long-term
consequences. The symptoms manifest in a range of
idiosyncratic ways, often collectively described as ‘a
storm in the brain’. It can affect attention and
concentration, memory, information processing,
decision-making and more. Is difficult to diagnosis and
can’t be treated. “But we do not know
why some recover quickly while others go on experiencing
long-term consequences,” says Dr Vickie Shim, who is
leading the research into mTBI at the ABI. “One of the
problems with mTBI diagnosis and research is that there is
often no known relation between the location or extent of
the injuries and subsequent symptoms.” A
missing link in our understanding of mTBI pathophysiology is
the lack of understanding in the interconnected nature of
mechanical, biological and cognitive processes in the brain
she says. She and her team aim to address
this by combining computational modelling and MRI imaging
technology, which will allow them to simulate disruptions in
the brain, to better understand the link between structural
damage and cognitive impairments. State-of-the-art imaging and
modelling technologies will be used, which will allow Dr
Shim to measure subtle changes in the brain’s structure
and functions, which she and her team believe is integral to
understanding and being able to predict long-term functional
changes after mTBI. “When combined
together, this will have potential to transform the brain
injury research and analysis by identifying pathways that
cause severe cognitive impairments and the mechanisms that
drive such detrimental changes,” says Dr
Shim. Their research aims to lead to the
creation of one of the most comprehensive mTBI dataset in
New Zealand. This will support the mTBI research community
in New Zealand and advance brain injury research for the
prevention, management, and treatment of
mTBI. Throughout history, major
breakthroughs in science came through “seeing”
structures or events for the first time, says Dr Shim.
“The aim of this project is to provide a
computational/experimental imaging modality through which
one can see for the first time the changes in brain function
after structural damage – and ultimately, prevent people
from suffering from those
effects.” ENDS Margo
White | Media Adviser, Communications Office Tel: 09
923 5504 Mob: 021 926 408 Email: margo.white@auckland.ac.nz
She will be measuring
head impacts from high school rugby players collected over a
season and analyse the brain changes with advanced MRI and
personalised brain models of the players. These will be
correlated with cognitive symptom measurements to
characterise how their brain structure and function change
over time.
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