Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Regional Oxygen Saturation Based Cerebrovascular Reactivity Assessments in Chronic Traumatic Neural Injury Versus in Health: A Prospective Cohort Study

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO)-based cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) monitoring has enabled entirely non-invasive, continuous monitoring during both acute and long-term phases of care. To date, long-term post-injury CVR has not been properly characterized after acute traumatic neural injury, also known as traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study aims to compare CVR in those recovering from moderate-to-severe TBI with a healthy control group. A total of 101 heathy subjects were recruited for this study, along with 29 TBI patients. In the healthy cohort, the arterial blood pressure variant of the cerebral oxygen index (COx_a) was not statistically different between males and females or in the dominant and non-dominant hemispheres. In the TBI cohort, COx_a was not statistically different between the first and last available follow-up or by the side of cranial surgery. Surprisingly, CVR, as measured by COx_a, was statistically better in those recovering from TBI than those in the healthy cohort. In this prospective cohort study, CVR, as measured by NIRS-based methods, was found to be more active in those recovering from TBI than in the healthy cohort. This study may indicate that in individuals that survive TBI, CVR may be enhanced as a neuroprotective measure.