Focus on Traumatic Brain Injury Research

 
NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Workshop
Bethesda, MD

January 22-23, 2024

Public feedback requested

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when external physical forces cause damage to the brain, whether from impact, penetrating objects, blast waves or rapid movement of the brain within the skull.  TBI severity has been classified as mild, moderate or severe based primarily on the Glasgow Coma Scale in combination with an assessment of periods of loss/alterations of consciousness and imaging scans of the brain.  The classification of mild TBI also includes concussion, commonly defined as a transient alteration of brain function after exposure to external physical forces. While short-term TBI can be life threatening in some cases, TBI also can have long-term sequelae including cognitive dysfunction, pain, sleep disorders and physical disability collectively known as the post-concussion syndrome (PCS). PCS results when various symptoms of TBI last weeks, months or more than a year following the TBI incident.  Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a delayed neurodegenerative disorder that was initially identified in postmortem brains and, research-to-date suggests, is caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries. NINDS supports ongoing efforts to refine diagnostic criteria for both CTE (postmortem diagnosis) and the associated Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome (TES; diagnosis in the living).

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Photo of brain MRI scan. Focus On Traumatic Brain Injury banner image. Credit: Shutterstock

The TBI program at NINDS provides support and funds to extramural researchers studying basic, clinical and translational TBI research. NINDS-funded research includes studies to understand mechanisms of TBI and its sequelae, preclinical and clinical studies for diagnosis, prognosis, potential therapeutics, and other aspects of TBI.

Additional general information about TBI can be found at the NINDS TBI Disorder information page.

Estimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and Disease Categories

Research/Disease Areas* FY 2013
(Actual)
FY 2014
(Actual)
FY 2015
(Actual)
FY 2016
(Actual)
FY 2017
(Actual)
FY 2018
(Actual)
FY 2019
(Actual)
FY 2020
(Actual)
FY 2021 
(Estimated)
FY 2022 
(Estimated)
Injury - Traumatic Brain Injury $88 $87 $93 $105 $116 $133 $134 $179 $184 $192

*Dollars in millions and rounded

To learn more about this NIH Investment, please visit the Categorical Spending site and enter "Injury - Traumatic Brain Injury".

Related Federal Programs

Proceedings & Outcomes

 

 

Resources and Tools

Contacts

Hibah O. Awwad, Ph.D. | TBI Program Director, Basic & Translational TBI research
hibah.awwad@nih.gov

Nsini Umoh, Ph.D. | TBI Program Director, Clinical & Translational TBI research
nsini.umoh@nih.gov

Adele Doperalski, Ph.D. | Health Program Specialist
adele.doperalski@nih.gov

Funding Opportunities 

Traumatic Brain Injury Related Funding Opportunities

To receive regular updates on funding announcements and other opportunities, please join the NINDS TBI Research Listserv.

News & Events

Upcoming News/Events

NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Workshop in Bethesda, MD - January 22-23, 2024

 

Past News/Events

NINDS workshops at the 2023 Neurotrauma meeting in Austin, TX- June 25-28, 2023

Learn about upcoming ADRD funding opportunities(pdf, 924 KB) at NINDS - April 25, 2023 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM  ​

FITBIR Meta Study Module Webinar - February 07, 2023 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM [Video]

The Second NINDS/NIBIB Consensus Meeting to Define Neuropathological Criteria for the Diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome

NIH-funded workshop: “Identifying strategies to advance research on traumatic brain injury’s effect on women”

NIH scientists watch the brain’s lining heal after a head injury

Study reveals gaps in follow-up care after concussion

Study finds worsening outcomes in service members five years after mild blast-induced concussion

 

Related Topics 

National Research Action Plan(pdf, 2874 KB)

Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research (FITBIR)
The FITBIR Informatics System is a database developed by the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health to share data, associated tools and methodologies. NINDS has specific FITBIR Requirements for larger Clinical Research studies.

International Initiative for Traumatic Brain Injury Research (InTBIR)

InTBIR is a cooperative international effort to coordinate clinical research activities, increase data sharing, and leverage global research opportunities.