Functional status 1 year after severe childhood traumatic brain injury predicts 7-year outcome: Results of the TGE study

Establishment of a pseudovirus neutralization assay for TGEV

Introduction

Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV) is a major pathogen causing swine enteric diseases, necessitating effective control strategies. Vaccination plays a key role, but assessing vaccine efficacy remains challenging due to variations in immune response and existing detection limitations. Current antibody detection methods, such as neutralization assays and ELISA, are often subjective, labor-intensive, and time-consuming, highlighting the need for a more efficient evaluation approach.

Methods and results

The TGEV S gene was amplified and inserted into the eukaryotic vector PM2.G-ΔG-HA to construct the recombinant plasmid PM2.G-ΔG-TGEV-S-HA. Transfecting ST cells with this plasmid, followed by infection with G*VSV-GFP/LUC, successfully produced TGEV P0 pseudoviruses. Western blot and electron microscopy confirmed the presence of TGEV S and VSV N proteins and the distinct pseudovirus morphology. Optimization determined that 0.5 μg/well of plasmid, 24 h transfection, and 24 h post-infection harvest yielded a viral titer of 106-107 TCID50/mL. The pseudoviruses exhibited strong ST cell tropism and were effectively neutralized by TGEV-positive sera. A pseudovirus-based neutralization test (pNT) was established, showing 100% sensitivity, 96.6% specificity, no cross-reactivity with PEDV, PPV, PDCoV, or PRoV, and a 94% concordance with the live virus neutralization test. The method effectively tracked antibody level changes post-TGEV vaccination.

Discussion

This study successfully developed a novel pseudovirus-based detection method, overcoming traditional assay limitations. The pNT method provides a scalable, efficient, and reliable tool for TGEV antibody evaluation, with broad potential applications in pathogen detection and vaccine assessment.

Applications of machine learning in pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI): a systematic review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) is a heterogeneous condition requiring the development of clinical decision rules (CDRs) for the optimal management of these patients. Machine learning (ML) is a novel artificial intelligence (AI) predictive tool with various applications in modern neurosurgery, including the creation of CDRs for patients with pTBI. In the present study, we summarized the current literature on the applications of ML in pTBI.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The literature search included PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect databases. We included observational or experimental studies focusing on the applications of ML in patients with pTBI under 18 years of age.

RESULTS

A total of 18 articles were included in our systematic review. Of these articles, 16 were retrospective cohorts, 1 was a prospective cohort, and 1 was a case-control study. Of these articles, ten concerned ML applications in predicting the outcome of pTBI patients, while 8 reported applications of ML in predicting the need for CT scans. Artificial Neuronal Network (ANN) and Random Forest (RF) were the most commonly utilized models for the creation of predictive algorithms. The accuracy of the ML algorithms to predict the need for CT scan in pTBI cases ranged from 0.790 to 0.999, and the Area Under Curve (AUC) ranged from 0.411 (95%CI: 0.354-0.468) to 0.980 (95%CI: 0.950-1.00). The model with the maximum accuracy to predict the need for CT scan was a Deep ANN model, while the model with the maximum AUC was Ensemble Learning. The model with the maximum accuracy to predict the outcome (favorable vs. unfavorable) of patients with TBI was a support vector machine (SVM) model with 94.0% accuracy, whereas the model with the highest AUC was an ANN model with an AUC of 0.991.

CONCLUSION

In the present systematic review, conventional and novel ML models were utilized to either predict the presence of intracranial trauma or the prognosis of children with pTBI. However, most of the reported ML algorithms have not been externally validated and are pending further research.

Long-term Participation and Functional Status in Children Who Experience Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of child and family factors on children's participation outcomes 2 to 3 years following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

SETTING

Two level 1 pediatric trauma centers.

PARTICIPANTS

Children aged 0 to 15 years with TBI at all severity levels or an orthopedic injury.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort.

MAIN MEASURES

Caregivers completed the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP) at 2- and 3-year follow-ups. The CASP was categorized as more than 90 or 90 or less on a 100-point scale, with 90 or less representing the 10th percentile and below in this sample. Modified Poisson regression models were used to describe relative risk of the CASP at 90 or less at 2 to 3 years postinjury, adjusting for preinjury family environment variables and injury group. A secondary analysis only included children who were 31 months or older at injury ( n = 441) to determine whether changes in functional outcome (Pediatric Injury Functional Outcome Scale, PIFOS) and executive functions (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, BRIEF) from preinjury to 1 year after injury predicted CASP scores at the 2- or 3-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight percent (596/769) of children who had a completed preinjury survey had a completed CASP. In the adjusted model, children with severe TBI had a nearly 3 times higher risk (RR = 2.90; 95% CI, 1.43-5.87) of reduced participation than children with an orthopedic injury. In the secondary analysis, lower functional skills (5-point increase in 1-year postinjury PIFOS score) (RR = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.18-1.57) and less favorable family function (RR = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02-2.10) were associated with reduced participation in both girls and boys.

CONCLUSION

Participation in home, school, and community activities after TBI is related to multiple biopsychosocial factors. Participation-focused interventions are needed to reduce barriers to involvement and assist children and families to close the participation gap across settings.

Update in Pediatric Neurocritical Care: What a Neurologist Caring for Critically Ill Children Needs to Know

Currently nearly one-quarter of admissions to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) worldwide are for neurocritical care diagnoses that are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Pediatric neurocritical care is a rapidly evolving field with unique challenges due to not only age-related responses to primary neurologic insults and their treatments but also the rarity of pediatric neurocritical care conditions at any given institution. The structure of pediatric neurocritical care services therefore is most commonly a collaborative model where critical care medicine physicians coordinate care and are supported by a multidisciplinary team of pediatric subspecialists, including neurologists. While pediatric neurocritical care lies at the intersection between critical care and the neurosciences, this narrative review focuses on the most common clinical scenarios encountered by pediatric neurologists as consultants in the PICU and synthesizes the recent evidence, best practices, and ongoing research in these cases. We provide an in-depth review of (1) the evaluation and management of abnormal movements (seizures/status epilepticus and status dystonicus); (2) acute weakness and paralysis (focusing on pediatric stroke and select pediatric neuroimmune conditions); (3) neuromonitoring modalities using a pathophysiology-driven approach; (4) neuroprotective strategies for which there is evidence (e.g., pediatric severe traumatic brain injury, post-cardiac arrest care, and ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke); and (5) best practices for neuroprognostication in pediatric traumatic brain injury, cardiac arrest, and disorders of consciousness, with highlights of the 2023 updates on Brain Death/Death by Neurological Criteria. Our review of the current state of pediatric neurocritical care from the viewpoint of what a pediatric neurologist in the PICU needs to know is intended to improve knowledge for providers at the bedside with the goal of better patient care and outcomes.

Long-term burden of informal caregiver 7-years after severe childhood traumatic brain injury in the traumatisme grave de l'Enfant (TGE) study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate reported burden by the Primary Family Caregiver (PFC) 7-years after severe pediatric traumatic brain injury in the TGE (Traumatisme Grave de l'Enfant) longitudinal study.

METHODS

Subjective burden was estimated with the Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI) in 36 PFC (parents), who rated their own health status (Medical Outcome Study Short Form-12), family functioning and their child's level of care and needs (Pediatric/Adult Care And Needs Scale [PCANS/CANS]). Data collection included: child and PFC sociodemographic characteristics, injury-related factors, 'objective' (e.g. overall level of disability: Glasgow Outcome Scale - Extended, GOS-E/GOS-E-Peds) and 'subjective' outcomes (e.g. participation, behavior, executive functions, quality of life and fatigue).

RESULTS

25% of PFC reported mild-moderate burden, and 19% moderate-severe burden. Higher burden correlated with worse outcomes in all 'subjective' PFC-rated outcomes, and with self-reported participation. The ZBI correlated strongly with CANS/PCANS and GOS-E/GOS-E-Peds. Overall level of disability and PFC-reported executive functioning explained 62% of the ZBI variance. For equal levels of disability, burden was higher when PFC reported a 'negative' picture of their child.

CONCLUSION

Significant PFC-reported burden 7-years post-injury was associated with overall disability and 'subjective' PFC-rated outcomes. Factors influencing parental burden in the long term should be identified and psychological support implemented over time.

Intelligence and executive function are associated with age at insult, time post-insult, and disability following chronic pediatric acquired brain injury

Background

Pediatric acquired brain injury (pABI) profoundly affects cognitive functions, encompassing IQ and executive functions (EFs). Particularly, young age at insult may lead to persistent and debilitating deficits, affecting daily-life functioning negatively. This study delves into the intricate interplay of age at insult, time post-insult, and their associations with IQ and EFs during chronic (>1 year) pABI. Additionally, we investigate cognitive performance across different levels of global function, recognizing the multifaceted nature of developmental factors influencing outcomes.

Methods

Drawing upon insult data and baseline information analyzing secondary outcomes from a multicenter RCT, including comprehensive medical and neuropsychological assessments of participants aged 10 to 17 years with pABI and parent-reported executive dysfunctions. The study examined associations between age at insult (early, EI; ≤7y vs. late, LI; > 7y) and time post-insult with IQ and EFs (updating, shifting, inhibition, and executive attention). Additionally, utilizing the Pediatric Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended, we explored cognitive performance across levels of global functioning.

Results

Seventy-six participants, median 8 years at insult and 5 years post-insult, predominantly exhibiting moderate disability (n = 38), were included. Notably, participants with LI demonstrated superior IQ, executive attention, and shifting compared to EI, [adjusted mean differences with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs); 7.9 (1.4, 14.4), 2.48 (0.71, 4.24) and 1.73 (0.03, 3.43), respectively]. Conversely, extended post-insult duration was associated with diminished performances, evident in mean differences with 95% CIs for IQ, updating, shifting, and executive attention compared to 1-2 years post-insult [-11.1 (-20.4, -1.7), -8.4 (-16.7, -0.1), -2.6 (-4.4, -0.7), -2.9 (-4.5, -1.2), -3.8 (-6.4, -1.3), -2.6 (-5.0, -0.3), and -3.2 (-5.7, -0.8)]. Global function exhibited a robust relationship with IQ and EFs.

Conclusion

Early insults and prolonged post-insult durations impose lasting tribulations in chronic pABI. While confirmation through larger studies is needed, these findings carry clinical implications, underscoring the importance of vigilance regarding early insults. Moreover, they dispel the notion that children fully recover from pABI; instead, they advocate equitable rehabilitation offerings for pABI, tailored to address cognitive functions, recognizing their pivotal role in achieving independence and participation in society. Incorporating disability screening in long-term follow-up assessments may prove beneficial.