Brain oxygen monitoring to improve recovery after severe head injury

Brain Oxygen Optimization in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury - Phase 3 (BOOST-3)

NIH-funded research University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11471591

This project compares standard intracranial pressure care with added brain-tissue oxygen monitoring to help people with severe traumatic brain injury avoid low brain oxygen and improve recovery.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Ann Arbor, United States)
Project IDNIH-11471591 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you or a loved one has a severe traumatic brain injury and is in the ICU, this trial would use a small brain oxygen probe in addition to usual monitoring. Patients are randomly assigned to care guided by brain-tissue oxygen levels versus the usual intracranial pressure–guided care, and clinicians use specific steps to raise brain oxygen when it falls. Earlier Phase 2 results showed a large drop in time spent with low brain oxygen and a trend toward better function. This Phase 3 trial tests whether adding brain oxygen monitoring leads to clearer improvements in recovery and outcomes.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with severe traumatic brain injury who are admitted to the ICU and require invasive neuromonitoring.

Not a fit: People with mild or moderate head injury who are not in the ICU or for whom invasive brain monitoring is unsafe would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit directly.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce dangerous brain oxygen shortages and improve functional recovery and survival after severe TBI.

How similar studies have performed: A prior randomized Phase 2 BOOST trial reduced the time spent with low brain tissue oxygen by 74% and showed a favorable trend in functional outcomes, motivating this Phase 3 trial to test clinical benefit.

Where this research is happening

Ann Arbor, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired brain injury
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.