A multi-centre, observational clinical study, the “B-Ahead U.K. Trial”, is to use technology in development from BrainScope Company to aid in the assessment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion in A&E.
Dr Rupert Pearse, MD from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, will serve as chief investigator for the study, which is expected to commence in late Spring this year. Salford Royal Hospital will also participate in the study. Commenting on the technology being used in the trial, Dr Pearse said: “I am enthusiastic about the potential for this technology and am delighted to be involved in this research on head injury in the UK. The prospect of having a non-invasive, handheld, point of care, objective medical device to help evaluate head injury patients seen in A&E could greatly assist clinicians in triage, assessment and management of these patients.” The device in development will be used to collect, process and produce an assessment of the patients’ brain electrical activity, identifying patterns consistent with a traumaticallyinduced structural brain injury and/or clinical manifestations of functional brain injury. The study was recently adopted by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network Portfolio, which provides research credibility and facilitates collaboration at the local research network level.
