The Role of Allopregnanolone Levels in Traumatic Brain Injury in Children and Adults and the Correlation of Its Levels with Computerized Tomography Images of the Brain

Abstract

Aim Allopregnanolone (AP) is a steroid of progesterone origin and it can readily pass through the blood–brain barrier. The aim of this study was to determine the AP levels occurring after head trauma in children and adults and to compare these results to the findings observed in the computed tomography (CT) of the respective individuals. Materials and Methods This study was conducted in the period from April 2018 to December 2018 on 92 patients admitted with isolated head trauma and on 80 healthy individuals in similar gender and age groups. The age, gender, and Glasgow Coma Scores of the patients; the cause of the head trauma; and the findings from CT imaging were recorded. Results The levels of AP were significantly lower in the head trauma patients both in the adult and pediatric groups compared with the healthy control groups of respective ages (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the levels of AP were significantly lower in both the pediatric and adult patients with identified pathologies in the CT images compared with their counterpart control groups (p < 0.001). In predicting an existing pathology in the CT, an AP level of > 138.5 was found to be 85.7% sensitive and 85.3% specific in the pediatric patients, and an AP level of >118.3 was 75% sensitive and 83.5% specific in the adult patients. Conclusion The levels of AP in head trauma patients were reduced in both the pediatric and adult patients and these low levels increase the likelihood of detecting pathology in CT images.