Talking trauma

Understanding what is going on inside someone's head is crucial. Is it possible to do this without piercing the skull?
Listen to James Piercy talk with Jeremy Holland, Chief Executive of Crainio, about their non-invasive intracranial pressure monitoring system. Crainio has developed a sensor which can be stuck to the outside of the head and monitor the pressure using infrared light and machine learning. The results are then continuously displayed in real time. This exciting new technology will reduce infection and could allow first responders to measure intracranial pressure at the scene of an accident.

Professor Valerie Pomery and James discuss what different methods are used in rehabilitation and how biomarkers may be the key to creating more effective personalised therapies. They also discuss the similarities and differences between physical and cognitive rehabilitation. Are there any cutting-edge techniques which could restore brain function, and will they be enough on their own to ensure recovery?

Dr Mark Wilson, Professor Julie Mytton, and James discuss what we can do to prevent brain injury and what we can do in the pre-hospital phase to reduce long-term injuries. Julie talks about the importance of collecting and using data to help predict outcomes for patients. Mark talks about the latest technologies being trialled to see how they can improve outcomes, and testing different techniques to ensure that the way we manage injury is the best, rather than what we have always done.

Dr Virginia Newcombe and James discuss the acute time period when patients with brain injury enter the hospital and how they are managed in our emergency departments. They discuss some cutting-edge monitoring techniques used in Critical Care, some new research being done in this area, and how this can improve care given to patients.

Professor Topun Austin and James discuss the effects of brain injury at the extremes of life and how the way we treat people and their brains at these key points in time can have huge effects on their recovery journey. They also explore some of the cutting-edge techniques in the neonatal sphere and discuss their positive benefits, but they also explore the dangers of these new techniques. What is the best way to look after a brain at these two important stages of life?

Professor Stephen Price and James discuss new techniques for understanding how to diagnose patients correctly, some of the limitations of current diagnostic practice, and the importance of diversifying data across different injuries, communities and ethnic backgrounds. How can we strengthen the prognosis for patients by looking at the data we collect and changing the current pathways in place?

A conversation with Paul Vuilliamy about the role of young platelets in blood clotting

Following serious injury blood may not clot properly. James Piercy talks to Henry Schofield and recent work linking this coagulopathy to blood type.