Rewards of Research: A $3.5 Million NIH Grant

In 2020, our EDs saw 7,500 patients for head trauma. AT CRMH, 1,000 of those patients were admitted to our trauma center to be treated for traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

While mild traumatic brain injuries (mBTI), commonly known as concussions, are most commonly associated with sports, only 3-4% of head injuries in emergency departments are in athletes—adults over the age of 75 actually have had the highest incidence of TBIs.

Concussion research in the elderly population, led by Damon Kuehl, M.D., recently received a $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

Both this study and our HeadSMART II study use blood biomarkers to determine if mTBIs can be more quickly and accurately diagnosed and treated. Both are also in partnership with a diagnostic company in Richmond, BRAINBox Solutions.

“The surprising piece when I talk to patients and the community about the type of research we are doing is that most people don’t know that it hasn’t been solved yet,” explained Dr. Kuehl.

Currently, CT scans and other diagnostic tools are used to diagnose mTBI, but results can be normal even if a patient has suffered a concussion that needs additional medical care. The NIH grant gives Dr. Kuehl and his team the opportunity to expand technology, gather data and evidence and develop tests for patient groups. 

Patients who come to CRMH’s ED for mTBI treatment are asked to participate in the research study; they are enrolled based on blood samples and simple cognitive tests. A new test to diagnose mild traumatic brain injuries in older adults will be developed in the two-year study, which will enroll 300 patients.  

“We’re at the frontier of a lot of really incredible discoveries and it's important to keep pushing that frontier and continue to try to improve patient care,” said Daniella Rodriguez, clinical research coordinator.

For more information on the study, contact Daniella Rodriguez, Research and Development, at dmrodriguez@carilionclinic.org. More is also available in this press release.