Neurocritical Care Research

Visit Dr. Batra's faculty profile for more information

His research interests include subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, head injury, status epilepticus, infections, neuromuscular respiratory failure, and the ICU management of the organ donor. He has been involved in therapeutic temperature modulation research since 1999. He has played a key role several NIH-funded trials, including RANTAAS, RAMPART, ProTECT III, ESETT, iDef, EpiBios4Rx, GRASP, and SHINE.

For publications and more information, please see Dr. Bleck's faculty profile.

Research Description

For more information, view the faculty profile of Sherry H-Y Chou, MD.

Recent Publications

View Dr. Chou's full list of publications at Pubmed.

Contact

Twitter: @SherryChou399 

Visit Dr. Kim's faculty profile to learn more.

The lab’s current primary focus is the management of severe hepatic encephalopathy in patients with fulminant, acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure and noninvasive detection of cerebral edema.

Visit Dr. Liotta's faculty profile to learn more.

Visit Dr. Maas' faculty profile to learn more.

Research Description

Intensive monitoring is a core function of an intensive care unit, and generates large amounts of data. In a neurologic unit, surveillance neuromonitoring is as important as vital signs and cardiac rhythm, yet there has been less clarity as to precisely what should be measured (biomarkers, imaging markers, serial examination scores) and its impact on complications and outcomes. We have established methods and models for the retrieval and analysis of data from the electronic health record for patients with stroke for a large registry that I have maintained over 10 years (Northwestern University Brain Attack Registry, NUBAR), which now includes >1,000 patients.

Research to improve patient outcomes is limited to endpoints we can reliably measure. Collaborating with Neuro-QOL, a platform for measuring Quality Of Life in neurological disorders, and the NIH Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Statistical Center, we have shown web-based computer-adaptive testing by study staff, patients or family members are valid compared to the usual standard of a validated interview, have increased statistical power, and highlight aspects of HRQoL, such as cognitive function, that would otherwise be undetectable (supported by K23 HS023437). Further, these measures improve our statistical power to perform research that measurably improves patient-centered outcomes.

In a continuing project with Preventive Medicine faculty, we are using network analytic techniques to identify high-performing teams. Previous publications have established methods to identify which members of the health care team (e.g., physicians, pharmacists, nurses) interacted with the patient in the electronic health record. Then, a quantitative measure of the success of interactions is calculated on an outcome. In past research, likelihood to recommend scores were the outcome. Here, we used NUBAR’s recorded functional outcomes (e.g., independence, dependence, death), and established that the interactions of team members are an independent predictor of patient outcome after accounting for severity of injury. This research opens up new lines of research on how to design high-performing teams.

In short, the lab collaborates widely to leverage innovative techniques to improve treatments for patients with life-threatening neurologic injury.

Contact Information

Andrew Naidech, MD, MSPH, FANA

Professor of Neurology

Research Description

Our research program is directed at understanding neurovascular function in health and disease. Specifically, we have been studying the association between cerebral blood flow regulation, structural changes in the brain and the clinical outcomes of acute and chronic cerebrovascular injury. In acute neurovascular disorders, we have validated several novel indices of cerebral blood flow regulation which can now be used to predict the development of vasospasm in subarachnoid hemorrhage and hematoma expansion in patients with intraparenchymal hemorrhage. The availability of these early non-invasive biomarkers will have a significant impact on early interventions to improve outcome in patients with subarachnoid and intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Similarly, in chronic neurovascular disorders associated with aging and neurodegeneration, we have been examining the contribution of vascular disease to mobility impairment and cognitive decline. We have shown that our non-invasive biomarkers of vascular function are strongly associated with cerebral small vessel disease as well as motor and cognitive impairment. Our goal is to expand these studies to include other neurological disorders such as stroke, pre-eclampsia, traumatic brain injury and dementia. Having non-invasive, real-time measure of neurovascular function which can predict clinical outcome in the early phases of brain injury will have significant implications on clinical trials and therapeutic targets designed for the treatment and prevention of these various acute and chronic neurovascular injuries.

For more information, view the faculty profile of Farzaneh A Sorond, MD, PhD. Visit her lab website here.

Twitter: @SorondLab

Recent Publications

View Dr. Sorond's full list of publications at PubMed.