Cerebrovascular responses after pediatric traumatic brain injury

Abstract

In children, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death between the ages of one and four. Injury to the brain as a result of TBI results from primary, secondary, and tertiary insults. Neurotrauma care focuses on minimizing secondary insults, with a major focus being the maintenance of adequate cerebral blood flow (CBF). TBI can disrupt the normal flow leading to increased and decreased amounts of CBF throughout the brain. In children, these changes are dependent on the age and stage of development. This chapter discusses the effect of developmental changes on CBF, cerebral perfusion pressure, and autoregulation of CBF in children of different age groups to further investigate an effective means of limiting the secondary effects of TBI.