Diagnosis and Prognosis of Acquired Brain Injury: Current Status and Recent Advances

Dear Colleagues,

Due to continuous advances in intensive care technology and neurosurgical procedures, the number of survivors of acquired brain injury (ABI) has increased considerably. After an ABI, patients may remain in a prolonged disorder of consciousness that may persist or be followed by a confusional state. The latter is characterized by persistent dysfunction across multiple cognitive domains, behavioral dysregulation, symptom fluctuation, disorientation, and, hence, altered consciousness. After, the patients may remain with permanent cognitive impairments or experience full recovery of their cognitive functioning. Also, survivors of ABI often suffer from several neurological symptoms leading to lifelong disability even though some patients achieve full recovery. This diversity of outcomes has been attributed to lesion characteristics and patient-specific factors, but the mechanisms underlying this heterogeneity are not fully understood.

The aim of this special issue is to provide an overview of this lively field of research by collecting contributions covering various aspects related to this topic. Studies investigating the identification of phenotypes and endotypes related to better short and long-term outcomes and better response to treatments will be mainly considered. Multidimensional definition of outcome will be more appreciated and multicentre studies will be deemed with more emphasis.

Dr. Bahia Hakiki
Guest Editor

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