R21NS123947

Traumatic Brain Injury Across the Lifespan in Zambia - Project Summary/Abstract

The overall goal of the Traumatic Brain Injury Across the Lifespan in Zambia (TBI-ZAMBIA) program is to define the health and economic burden of traumatic brain injuries across the lifespan in Zambia. We will do this by strengthening the local data infrastructure with an electronic registry on traumatic brain injuries (Brain Injury Registry of Lusaka (BRAIL)) to collect data on all TBI seen at the University Teaching Hospital.

Our approach will involve close collaboration between Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University (GW), USA, The University of Zambia School of Public Health (UNZA), and its University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka, Zambia. GW and UNZA share a documented commitment to research training, expertise in application of electronic registries in injuries and health services research, as well as a history of productive collaborative work. UNZA and UTH share a commitment to providing the highest quality service to the under-privileged communities in Zambia, and focus on optimizing outcomes in low-resource settings.

Our proposal will leverage the shared interest in understanding the impact of trauma and brain disorders and strengthening research capacity and tackle two critical gaps in addressing these health concerns – create national, disaggregated data on TBI, define their risks and vulnerable groups and the impact of potential interventions, and develop a core group of clinicians with research and data management skills.

Our TBI-ZAMBIA collaboration will help strengthen capacity within UNZA/UTH and Zambia to apply these methodologies to other areas of healthcare.

The specific aims of this proposal are: (1) to define core variables and digital platforms for a data registry focused on traumatic brain injuries in Zambia; (2) to pilot-test a digital traumatic brain injury registry at University Teaching Hospital, University of Zambia for a year; and (3) to develop a core group of clinicians with research skills and data analysis capacity at University Teaching Hospital, University of Zambia.

We will apply the results of the study to reduce the growing burden of TBI across the lifespan and propose a larger intervention study by the end of two years. With TBI patients as our focus, we will develop a digital registry, which will be implemented in the surgical emergency unit (where all trauma patients are received, assessed, and treatment is initiated) of UTH.

Information on the epidemiology of the brain injury, occurrence, nature, type, and outcomes of TBI including risk factor analysis and seasonal variation will be collected through a 12-month prospective data collection process. The data will be crucial for evaluating future interventions and outlining policy recommendations.

To strengthen the response to TBI, we will develop research capacity among clinicians (surgeons, trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons) in Zambia through hands-on onsite training, short-term workshops, and online courses.

George Washington University (The)

(1) TO SUPPORT EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS) INCLUDING: BASIC RESEARCH THAT EXPLORES THE FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES AND ORIGINS OF PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH THE GOAL OF PREVENTING THESE DISORDERS, RESEARCH ON THE NATURAL COURSE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, IMPROVED METHODS OF DISEASE PREVENTION, NEW METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT, DRUG DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT OF NEURAL DEVICES, CLINICAL TRIALS, AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE. THE INSTITUTE IS THE LARGEST FUNDER OF BASIC NEUROSCIENCE IN THE US AND SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON TOPICS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: DEVELOPMENT OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, INCLUDING NEUROGENESIS AND PROGENITOR CELL BIOLOGY, SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION IN DEVELOPMENT AND PLASTICITY, AND PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH, SYNAPSE FORMATION, FUNCTION, AND PLASTICITY, LEARNING AND MEMORY, CHANNELS, TRANSPORTERS, AND PUMPS, CIRCUIT FORMATION AND MODULATION, BEHAVIORAL AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE, SENSORIMOTOR LEARNING, INTEGRATION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEMS, SLEEP AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS, AND SENSORY AND MOTOR SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, THE INSTITUTE SUPPORTS BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES ON A NUMBER OF DISORDERS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO): STROKE, TRAUMATIC INJURY TO THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORD AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS, MOVEMENT DISORDERS, BRAIN TUMORS, CONVULSIVE DISORDERS, INFECTIOUS DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM, IMMUNE DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM, INCLUDING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, DISORDERS RELATED TO SLEEP, AND PAIN. PROGRAMMATIC AREAS, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY SUPPORTED BY THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE, ARE ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE DIVISION OF EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES, THE DIVISION OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH, THE DIVISION OF CLINICAL RESEARCH, THE OFFICE OF TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THE OFFICE OF PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE NEUROSCIENCE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES. (2) TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. TO UTILIZE THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM, TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL

93.853 - Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NNDS) [HHS - NIH]

District Of Columbia United States

State-Wide

Global Brain and Nervous System Disorders Research Across the Lifespan (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-18-836)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 08/31/23 to 08/31/25.