Early Detection of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Early detection of positive mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) status is difficult in the post-trauma period and efficient, noninvasive screening methods are needed. Brain injury from trauma and other neurological conditions frequently escapes detection using current imaging technology such as magnetic resonance (MRI) and computer-assisted tomography (CAT). mTBI is associated with cognitive impairment in attention, learning and information processing is correlated with sleep disorder and accumulating sleep deprivation. This proposal aims to use the PI’s prior sleep and brain injury discoveries in humans to develop a prototype device that can detect sleep anomalies for the diagnosis of both mTBI presence and severity. An interdisciplinary approach will be used for prototype development using cutting edge engineering science innovation in sensor fabrication, wireless signal processing and software development. The prototype device will use proprietary sleep algorithms associated with brain injury and compare results to neurocognitive outcome measures. The Phase II plan is to test this simple, noninvasive device in a home-based setting. Recent mTBI military outpatients will be compared to a sample of military patients without brain injury in overnight tests using the device. Commercialization plans include device development for early diagnosis of mTBI and future applications to other brain injury etiologies.