Skip to main content

Call for papers - Traumatic brain injury: advances in treatments, imaging, rehab, and outcomes

Guest Editors:
Nada Andelic: Oslo University Hospital, Norway
Vishal K. Chavda: Stanford University Medical Center, US
Mangor Pedersen: Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Alice Theadom: Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 23 May 2024


BMC Neurology is calling for submissions to our multidisciplinary Collection on traumatic brain injury, highlighting advances in our understanding of TBI risk factors; neurosurgery interventions; neuroimaging technologies; rehabilitation and therapy to achieve better patient outcomes; and other innovative new preclinical research.

Meet the Guest Editors

Back to top

Prof Nada Andelic: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Oslo University Hospital | Research Centre for Habilitation and Rehabilitation Models and Services (CHARM), Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway

Dr Nada Andelic (MD, PhD) is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the head of Research and Development at the Oslo University Hospital Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and a Professor at the CHARM Research Centre for Habilitation and Rehabilitation Models and Services, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo. Her main research areas are short and long-term functional outcomes and health-related quality of life following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and multiple traumas, healthcare and rehabilitation services, rehabilitation trajectories, complex interventions, and cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation. She has numerous peer-reviewed research publications and serves as peer reviewer for numbers of international journals and Research Granting Agencies worldwide.

Dr Vishal K. Chavda: Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Centre, US

Dr Vishal K Chavda (MS, PhD, FICN) is a dedicated and emerging scientist in the field of neurology. He has worked at the Stanford University Medical Center as a Postdoc Fellow and Scientist in Cancer and Stroke since 2021. He holds an MS and PhD in neuropharmacology/neurology, in addition to studying sleep medicine at the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences and anesthesia at B J Medical College & Civil Hospital in Gujarat. He has received numerous international honors for his work, including those from the Malaysian Stroke Council, IC-KDA, IBRO, FENS, and WFNS. He is now involved in basic and clinical neurological disorder research, particularly stroke, brain cancers, trauma and ischemic brain damage, cognition, and neurodegeneration. 

Prof Mangor Pedersen: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Mangor Pedersen is an Associate Professor at Auckland University of Technology (AUT - Department of Psychology and Neuroscience) and the Associate Head of Research at the AUT School of Clinical Sciences. His research interest is developing and validating new technologies for quantifying human brain networks using functional MRI, including artificial intelligence (AI), complex network science, and dynamical systems theory. These approaches have significantly contributed to our ability to model brain dysfunction in people with epilepsy and traumatic brain injury. He currently holds the HRC Emerging Researcher Grant, and serves as the AI lead of the $30 million Australian Epilepsy Project and as a core member of the AUT Traumatic Brain Injury Network, New Zealand. 

Prof Alice Theadom: Director of the TBI Network, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Alice Theadom, BSc, MSc, PhD is a Professor of Psychology and Brain Health and a Rutherford Discovery Fellow. She is Director of the TBI Network hosted at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. Alice is a Registered Psychologist and has been leading a research program into traumatic brain injury for over 10 years. Her current research has a focus on recognition of injury and understanding factors predictive of recovery and the longer-term impacts of mild injuries such as concussion. Alice has published >200 peer-reviewed journal articles and her work has contributed to best practice clinical guidelines.  

About the collection

BMC Neurology is calling for submissions to our Collection on traumatic brain injury (TBI). We invite experts in neurology, neurosurgery, rehabilitation medicine, and related fields, as well as researchers in areas such as epidemiology, psychology, and neuroscience, to submit their research publications for consideration in this Collection.

Traumatic brain injuries are a significant public health issue, with an estimated 69 million cases worldwide every year. Broadly speaking, TBI are injuries that affect how the brain functions, and can range from mild concussions to devastating, life-altering trauma.

Recent advances in the study of TBI have shown promising results in improving patient outcomes as they recover from such trauma. Advances in neuroimaging techniques have allowed for a better understanding of the complex pathophysiology of brain trauma, including the identification of specific brain regions affected by injury. There have also been significant advancements in the fields of neuroprotection and neuroregeneration, including the use of stem cells and gene therapy to promote recovery after injury. Additionally, studies have shown the effectiveness of multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs in improving functional outcomes for patients with brain injuries. These developments have revealed exciting new avenues for research and clinical practice in the study and treatment of TBI, and this Collection aims to showcase them alongside the latest research breakthroughs in this important area of medicine.

By bringing together the latest insights and advances in our understanding of traumatic brain injury from multiple research disciplines, this Collection aims to provide a comprehensive overview of neurotrauma, establish how far our understanding of these injuries has progressed in recent years, and identify areas where more dedicated testing and research is still needed.

Topics that are of interest to this Collection include, but are not limited to:
   â€¢  Advances in neurosurgical techniques for treating brain trauma
   â€¢  Rehabilitation strategies for patients with TBI/sTBI
   â€¢  Diagnostic tools for assessing brain trauma and predicting outcomes
   â€¢  Pharmacological treatments for brain injuries, including clinical trials and case studies
   â€¢  Prevention strategies for reducing the risk of brain injury, including public health interventions and injury prevention programs
   â€¢  Epidemiological studies on the incidence and prevalence of brain trauma in different populations
   â€¢  Psychological and neuropsychological assessments of patients with brain injuries, including studies on cognitive impairment and emotional regulation
   â€¢  Neuroimaging studies of brain trauma, including functional MRI, PET, and SPECT
   â€¢  The role of neuroinflammation in brain trauma and its potential as a therapeutic target
   â€¢  The impact of brain trauma on quality of life, including studies on social and occupational functioning, and family relationships


Image credit: Movus / Getty Images / iStock

  1. The German Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) can be used to assess post-concussion symptoms (PCS) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adults, adolescents, and children.

    Authors: Fabian Bockhop, Sven Greving, Marina Zeldovich, Ugne Krenz, Katrin Cunitz, Dagmar Timmermann, Matthias Kieslich, Nada Andelic, Anna Buchheim, Inga K. Koerte, Maike Roediger, Knut Brockmann, Michaela V. Bonfert, Steffen Berweck, Michael Lendt, Michael Staebler…
    Citation: BMC Neurology 2024 24:133
  2. A proportion of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) suffer long-term consequences, and the reasons behind this are still poorly understood. One factor that may affect outcomes is cognitive reserve...

    Authors: Natascha Ekdahl, Marika C. Möller, Catharina Nygren Deboussard, Britt-Marie Stålnacke, Marianne Lannsjö and Love Engström Nordin
    Citation: BMC Neurology 2023 23:450
  3. Non-contrast Computerised Tomography (NCCT) of brain is the gold standard investigation for diagnosis and management of Traumatic brain injury (TBI). Asymmetrical CT brain images as a result of improper head p...

    Authors: Ajish Sam George, Pragnitha Chitteti, Shalini Nair, Reka Karuppasami and Mathew Joseph
    Citation: BMC Neurology 2023 23:391

Submission Guidelines

Back to top

This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Traumatic brain injury: advances in treatments, imaging, rehab, and outcomes" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Guest Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Guest Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.