Home › Research › Inflammation and the immune system
A Review of the Molecular Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injury
Ladak AA, Enam SA, Ibrahim MT.. World neurosurgery, 2019-07-10
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to any insult to the brain resulting in primary (direct) and secondary (indirect) damage to the brain parenchyma. Secondary damage is often linked to the molecular mechanisms that occur post TBI and result in excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation and cytokine damage, oxidative damage, and eventual cell death as prominent mechanisms of cell damage. We present a review highlighting the relation of each of these mechanisms with TBI, their mode of damaging brain tissue, and therapeutic correlation.
Key findings
- Secondary damage is often linked to the molecular mechanisms that occur post TBI and result in excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation and cytokine damage, oxidative damage, and eventual cell death as prominent mechanisms of cell damage.
- We present a review highlighting the relation of each of these mechanisms with TBI, their mode of damaging brain tissue, and therapeutic correlation.
- We also mention the long-term sequelae and their pathophysiology in relation to TBI focusing on Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
- Understanding of the molecular mechanisms is important in order to realize the secondary and long-term sequelae that follow primary TBI and to devise targeted therapy for quick recovery accordingly.
Why it matters
This is a review of molecular mechanisms such as excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, oxidative damage and cell death that occur after traumatic brain injury. It discusses how these processes damage brain tissue and their possible link to long-term conditions, but it reports no new treatment or cure for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (World neurosurgery) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | World Neurosurgery: journal h-index 125 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 216 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 24.0 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 85 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Muhammad Ibrahim: h-index 12 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Aga Khan University: institution h-index 431 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31301445) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.07.039
- PubMed: 31301445
- Original source →
- Free full text: eCommons - AKU (Aga Khan University) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Ladak, A. A., Enam, S. A., & Ibrahim, M. T. (2019). A Review of the Molecular Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injury. World neurosurgery. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2019.07.039
Vancouver
Ladak AA, Enam SA, Ibrahim MT. A Review of the Molecular Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injury. World neurosurgery. 2019. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2019.07.039. PMID: 31301445.
BibTeX
@article{ladak2019-31301445,
author = {Ladak, A. A. and Enam, S. A. and Ibrahim, M. T.},
title = {{A Review of the Molecular Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injury}},
journal = {World neurosurgery},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1016/j.wneu.2019.07.039},
pmid = {31301445},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2019.07.039}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Inflammation and the immune system
Also in Inflammation and the immune system
138 studies in the library are filed under Inflammation and the immune system with no topic tag they share with another; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed tour of them. The Inflammation and the immune system hub.