Changing paradigm in mild traumatic brain injury research

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability among young adults. Recent data show that TBI affects about 1.7 million people annually in the United States (Faul and Coronado, 2015). After TBI, the primary injury produces almost irreparable brain damage. However, recent experimental studies have shown evidence for dynamic brain repair following TBI because endogenous progenitor cells may play regenerative roles in response to injuries (McGinn and Povlishock, 2015). In surviving patients, what plays a critical role in the clinical prognosis is the subsequent secondary injury; without effective treat- ment, cascades that include glutamatergic excitotoxicity and calcium overload will promote additional brain damage.