Toward a global and reproducible science for brain imaging in neurotrauma: the ENIGMA adult moderate/severe traumatic brain injury working group

Abstract

The global burden of mortality and morbidity caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) is significant, and the heterogeneity of TBI patients and the relatively small sample sizes of most current neuroimaging studies is a major challenge for scientific advances and clinical translation. The ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Adult moderate/severe TBI (AMS-TBI) working group aims to be a driving force for new discoveries in AMS-TBI by providing researchers worldwide with an effective framework and platform for large-scale cross-border collaboration and data sharing. Based on the principles of transparency, rigor, reproducibility and collaboration, we will facilitate the development and dissemination of multiscale and big data analysis pipelines for harmonized analyses in AMS-TBI using structural and functional neuroimaging in combination with non-imaging biomarkers, genetics, as well as clinical and behavioral measures. Ultimately, we will offer investigators an unprecedented opportunity to test important hypotheses about recovery and morbidity in AMS-TBI by taking advantage of our robust methods for large-scale neuroimaging data analysis. In this consensus statement we outline the working group's shortterm, intermediate, and long-term goals.

Integrative Neuroinformatics for Precision Prognostication and Personalized Therapeutics in Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

“…Large TBI cohorts would also allow for the identification of genome-wide significant loci that have the potential to be novel therapeutic targets ( 169 ). Current initiatives that can facilitate GWAS in TBI include the Genetic Associations in Neurotrauma (GAIN) Consortium, the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium, and the TBI-related focus of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium-PTSD Working Group (PGC-PTSD) ( 17 , 170 ) However, more focus needs to be placed on efforts to recruit and genotype research participants that have experienced moderate/severe cases of TBI. Further, significant work needs to be done before the evaluation of target gene polymorphisms are integrated into TBI care.…”

Research Needs for Prognostic Modeling and Trajectory Analysis in Patients with Disorders of Consciousness

“…• For diffusion tensor imaging MRI to be used in prognostic modeling, standardization of acquisition and analysis are needed. Similarly, other imagingbased tools are being studied for utility in enhancing prognostication [43][44][45]. • Similarly, standardization of acquisition and analysis are fundamental for electroencephalographysupported diagnoses, such as CMD [46,47].…”

The ENIGMA Brain Injury working group: approach, challenges, and potential benefits

“…Within the first year, multiple subgroups were identified, including Pediatric Moderate/Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) (msTBI) (Dennis et al 2020), Military-Relevant TBI (Tate et al 2020), and Sport-Related Head Injury (Koerte et al 2020). Soon after, groups for Adult msTBI (Olsen et al 2020) and Acute Emergency Department (Civilian) Mild TBI were formed, followed by a group focusing on Intimate Partner Violence (Esopenko et al 2020). The newest groups to be formed are focused on emerging imaging methods that may have particular relevance in TBI, namely Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) (Bartnik-Olson et al 2020), Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), and resting state fMRI (rsfMRI), as well as a group on Cognitive Endpoints (see Fig.…”