Brain oxygen monitoring to help recovery after severe head injury
Official title: Brain Oxygen Optimization in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury - Phase 3 (BOOST-3)
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11471593 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a brain oxygen sensor to guide ICU care for people with severe traumatic brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2018 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $75,000 |
| NIH project number | 3U01NS099046-06S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11471593 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with severe traumatic brain injury admitted to the ICU who require intracranial monitoring (prolonged coma) are the intended candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with mild head injuries, those not requiring ICU intracranial monitoring, or those for whom invasive monitoring is unsafe are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
If I have a severe head injury and am in a coma in the ICU, doctors would place a small sensor in my brain to measure how much oxygen the tissue is getting. The care team would use those oxygen readings, along with standard pressure monitoring, to treat problems that could lower brain oxygen. Patients are randomly assigned to usual pressure-guided care or to care guided by the brain oxygen numbers so researchers can compare recovery. Earlier work showed fewer low-oxygen episodes with this approach, and this larger trial aims to see if that leads to better long-term outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce episodes of low brain oxygen and improve survival and long-term function after severe TBI.
How similar studies have gone: A prior randomized Phase 2 trial reduced brain hypoxia by about 74% and showed a trend toward improved functional outcomes, so the approach has promising early evidence but needs Phase 3 confirmation.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Silbergleit, Robert — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Silbergleit, Robert
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
AI-enhanced virtual reality tool to support remote emergency brain surgery training in Tanzania
A new AI-powered virtual reality tool helps non-experts in low-resource areas get real-time remote guidance for emergency traumatic brain injury surgery.
-
How head injury affects the heart and blood vessels
This project aims to find out whether traumatic brain injuries make people more likely to develop hardened arteries and heart problems, especially among veterans.
-
Neural targets for improving function in Veterans with alcohol use disorder and mild brain injury
This project tests a targeted brain-stimulation approach to help Veterans who have both alcohol use problems and mild traumatic brain injury improve daily functioning.
-
How head injuries affect the heart and blood vessels
This project is looking at whether past traumatic brain injuries cause changes in blood vessels and raise the risk of heart disease for people who have had head injuries.
-
Keeping oxygen in the injured brain after severe head trauma
This project uses a small brain oxygen monitor to guide ICU care for people with severe traumatic brain injury in hopes of improving recovery.
-
How head injuries affect Parkinson's over time
Researchers will follow people with Parkinson's disease to learn how past mild-to-moderate head injuries relate to thinking, mood, movement, brain changes, and quality of life.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.