• Accomplishments
• Contact

• Research
• Spinal Cord Injury Projects
• Traumatic Brain Injury Projects
  • Assessment & Intervention for Mild TBI
  • Can Eye Movements Predict Persistent Problems in Paediatric Mild TBI?
  • Cognitive and Neural Substrates of Socially Maladaptive Behaviours in Adolescents with Traumatic Brain Injury
  • DECRA Trial (DECompressive CRAniectomy Trial)
  • Enhancing Neurogenesis Post -TBI
  • Fluid Resuscitation in TBI
  • Headstart: Multi-family Groups for Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Hypothermia in Childhood TBI (HiTBIC)
  • Improving the functional communication ability of adults with TBI
  • Long term consequences of childhood head injury - 15 year follow-up
  • Longitudinal Hippocampal Study
  • Measuring the Impact of TBI on People's Lives
  • Mobility Following Childhood TBI
  • New Treatments for Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
  • Neural Basis of Communication Disorder in Children
  • Neurotrauma Tissue/Fluid Bank
  • Normoglycaemia in Intensive Care Traumatic Brain Injury Study (NICE-TBI)
  • Preventing Neuronal Cell Death Following Brain Trauma
  • Prevention and Treatment of Social Problems Following TBI
  • Rehabilitation of Attention Following TBI
  • Role of Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator
  • TBI in Older Adults
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Treatment in Depression After Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Traumatic Hypoxia and Cerebral Inflammation
  • Virtual Reality and Upper Limb Function Following TBI in Children
• Targeted Initiatives
• Completed TBI and SCI Projects
• Program Grants

New Treatments for Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries

Traumatic Injury to Brain and Spinal Cord: Secondary Injury, Development and Evaluation of New Treatments

Chief Investigator: Professor Norman Saunders
Associate Investigators: Associate Professor Crisitna Morganti-Kossmann, Dr Peter Crack, Associate Professor David Howells, Professor Peter McIntyre, Professor Seong-Seng Tan, Dr Peter Batchelor, Associate Professor Kate Dziegielewska, Dr Jennifer Callaway
Lead Organisation: University of Melbourne
VNI Funding: $4,186,012
Project Start Date: 01-Sept-06

Project Summary:
Brain and spinal cord injuries, commonly arising from motor vehicle accidents, are a significant cause of death and severe disability in the community. Damage to the brain and spinal cord is categorised as primary (immediate consequences) and secondary (processes that occur after initial impact). The secondary processes involve an activation of complex cascades leading to death of nerve cells and other brain cells as well as clinical complications such as brain swelling, raised intracranial pressure and ischaemic damage to the affected regions. The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to secondary damage following traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. This project also aims to identify targets for therapeutic intervention in order to limit the extent of damage and functional loss.