By: Laura B. Ngwenya, MD, PhD, FAANS
University of Cincinnati
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) held a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Classification and Nomenclature Workshop January 22-23, 2024, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. This open workshop served to summarize and highlight the findings from the six working groups tasked with the development of a more precise and evidence-based classification system for TBI. Four of the working groups focused on a particular aspect of TBI classification and/or characterization, while the Knowledge to Practice and Retrospective Classification working groups included the more practical issues of implementing and adopting a new classification system. The working groups presented a proposal to move beyond the terms “mild, moderate and severe” for TBI classification. Several neurosurgeons were part of this initiative, including Geoffrey Manley, MD, PhD (Steering Committee), neurosurgery resident John Yue, MD (Clinical Symptoms), Ann-Christine Duhaime, MD (Imaging) and David Okonkwo, MD, PhD (Biomarkers). The framework proposed at the workshop included a classification system that incorporates four key components: Clinical, Biomarkers, Imaging and Modifiers. The proposed CBI+M system, designed for research purposes, elicited robust discussion and debate from the diverse audience of experts, survivors and community stakeholders. Much of the discussion focused on whether the proposed CBI+M framework was user-friendly enough to cause the needed paradigm shift in TBI classification. The videocast recording of the two-day session and more information about the workshop is available on the NINDS TBI Classification website.
