Sympathetic Activation and Brain Blood Flow After Traumatic Brain Injury
Official title: Sympathetic Activation and Cerebrovascular Pressure Reactivity after Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Funded at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital · NIH-11333737 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the brain’s blood flow and automatic nervous system activity change after a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, using noninvasive tests to better predict recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlestown, United States) |
| Project start | August 27, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $366,433 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS133245-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11333737 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older with moderate to severe TBI who are in the acute phase and under active follow-up care.
✕Less likely to help
If you have a mild TBI or are outside the acute follow-up window, this study may not directly benefit you.
What this research studies
After a serious brain injury, some patients have lasting trouble with how brain blood vessels react to changes in blood pressure. The study will test a noninvasive way to measure this cerebrovascular pressure reactivity over time, aiming to understand its impact on long-term recovery. It will explore how the sympathetic nervous system’s activity relates to these brain blood flow changes in adults who recently suffered TBI. The goal is to improve prognostic information and potentially guide future treatments to help neurorecovery. This is translational research that could translate into noninvasive monitoring techniques in clinical care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to better prediction of recovery trajectories and inform noninvasive monitoring approaches to tailor rehabilitation after TBI.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work on noninvasive proxies for cerebral autoregulation has shown promise, but this specific approach to CVPR monitoring after TBI is evolving and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Charlestown, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pinto, Shanti Marie — Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
- Study coordinator: Pinto, Shanti Marie
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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.