2024: Trauma

On Track to Enroll: Duke Joins TRACK-TBI

Duke has joined the TRACK-TBI consortium, a select group of institutions partnering to conduct clinical trials across the spectrum of traumatic brain injury, and will begin enrollment in clinical trials in the first quarter of 2025.

TRACK-TBI stands for "Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury.” It is a multicenter observational study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) that aims to comprehensively investigate the natural history of recovery after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the acute phase to the chronic phase, following patients over a year post-injury across various severity levels of TBI. 

Key points about TRACK-TBI:

Focus on data collection

This study collects detailed clinical data, including imaging (CT/MRI), blood biospecimens, and functional outcome assessments from patients with TBI at multiple time points after their injury. 

Multicenter design

TRACK-TBI involves multiple level 1 trauma centers across the United States, allowing for a diverse patient population. 

Research goals

The study aims to improve understanding of the natural progression of TBI recovery, identify potential biomarkers, and inform future treatment development by providing a large, robust dataset. 

Grant Shares Concussion Expertise in NSF Video

Headshot of Gerry Grant
Gerald Grant, MD, is a concussion expert and chair of the Duke Department of Neurosurgery

Gerald Grant, MD, offered expert commentary in a video about concussion, produced by the National Science Foundation. The video featured technologies designed to reduce the impact of head injuries, including liquid shock absorbers.

“It’s a really exciting approach because it's something very novel particularly using liquid shock as opposed to air or solid materials,” he said. “We hope this technology will help reduce the accelerometer forces on the field, but we need to test this on the field to really show that it has the clear impact. Any way we can mitigate the concussion risk the better - one less concussion I can take care of in the weekly clinic would be a dream.”