SESSION TITLE

TBI Recovery: Neurobehavior, Function & Precision Care in Pediatric TBI Pediatric TBI

DESCRIPTION

Despite age-expected function on typical outcome batteries, children with milder forms of TBI may report chronic cognitive/behavioral changes and have a higher rate of new injuries. Dr. Suskauer will discuss the role of functional neuroimaging and sensitive behavioral tasks for better understanding brain-behavior relationships after TBI and choosing relevant interventions.  Dr. Fink will discuss her work on protocolized, personalized early PICU rehabilitation involving physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy, with the goal of optimizing rehabilitation strategies to provide the maximum benefit possible to pediatric neurocritical care patients.  On the translational side, Dr. Pelled will describe multi-dimensional methods including electrophysiology, functional MRI and behavior to evaluate plasticity and subsequent recovery in rodent models of brain injury.  She will show evidence that different neuromodulation technologies are effective in guiding plasticity in a way that facilitates recovery. Dr. Whalen will describe use of an adolescent mouse repetitive closed head injury model to define histological, behavioral, physiological (including fMRI), and cellular/molecular mechanisms of repetitive closed head injury in hopes of deriving therapies aimed at preventing neurological dysfunction acutely and improving function in the chronic period after injury.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:

1. Describe how functional neuroimaging can be used to enhance understanding of recovery after pediatric TBI.
2. Describe how adolescent mouse models can be used to understand cellular and molecular drivers of functional outcome after concussive traumatic brain injury
3. Discuss longitudinal rehabilitation and outcomes assessment for pediatric TBI patients across the continuum of care.
4. Understand how different non-invasive and genetic-based neuromodulation technologies can be applied in animal models of brain injury.