Neuropathology of acquired cerebral trauma.

Abstract

The neuropathology of traumatic brain injury is reviewed. First, various definitional statements of what constitutes brain injury are reviewed, which include the degree to which level of consciousness is altered, the degree of post-traumatic amnesia, and the presence of physiological, radiological, or physical exam findings. The understanding of the neuropathological @fects of brain injuly has been greatly advanced by neuroimaging techniques, and these are reviewed in the context of illuminating structural aberrations of the central nervous system that may accompany traumatic brain injury. It is argued that by knowing the underlying structural abnormalities, a better appreciation of the resultant narropsychological impairment may be achieved. The main neuropathological features that result in trauma-related brain damage are reviewed. These include damage that occurs as a result of the skull-brain interface, cerebral edema, ischemia and hypoxia, and hemorrhage, which are reviewed along with the neuropathological basis for diyuse axonal injury. Due to the technical nature of this material, a glossary is provided at the end of the article.