PET scans to spot treatment-related brain inflammation after traumatic brain injury
Feasibility of Using PET Imaging for Detection of Treatment-Induced Changes in Chronic Neuroinflammation Following TBI
This project will use PET brain scans and medication in animal models to try to spot and reduce long-lasting brain inflammation after traumatic brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11212767 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research uses PET imaging in a preclinical rat model to look for long-lasting inflammation that can follow head injuries. The team will create an impact-acceleration injury in rats that mimics falls, crashes, and sports impacts and then scan the brain over time to see inflammation signals. They will give methylphenidate to test whether boosting noradrenaline and dopamine connections can change the inflammation patterns. The work aims to build a platform that could eventually help detect and track chronic inflammation in people with TBI and guide future treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is preclinical, animal-focused research and does not enroll patients, though results may later apply to people with persistent problems after TBI.
Not a fit: Patients will not receive direct clinical benefit from this animal study because it does not involve human participants or treatments in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to better ways to detect ongoing brain inflammation after TBI and to treatments that reduce inflammation and related disabilities.
How similar studies have performed: Researchers have used PET markers to study neuroinflammation in humans and animals, but using methylphenidate to restore noradrenergic/dopaminergic inputs and curb chronic inflammation is largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- Veterans Health Administration — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bose, Prodip K. — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Bose, Prodip K.
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 below.