Blood tests can provide useful information about brain health, but taking blood from a vein is not always practical, especially in remote or outdoor settings. This study tested Tasso+, a small device worn on the upper arm that collects a tiny blood sample with minimal discomfort. Samples were taken before exercise, immediately afterwards and around one to one-and-a-half days later. The researchers also tested whether samples remained reliable when they were kept at room temperature for up to 72 hours before processing. Results from Tasso+ were compared with standard blood samples taken from a vein and with another small-sample collection method. Tasso+ successfully measured several important signs of brain health and the body’s response, even when processing was delayed. This suggests that the device could make brain-health research easier in places where standard blood collection is difficult, and may allow people to collect samples themselves at home.

This study looked at whether “days alive and out of hospital” is a useful way to measure recovery after surgery to drain a long-term collection of blood on the surface of the brain, known as a chronic subdural haematoma. Using national patient data, the researchers tested how reliable this measure is and compared it between healthcare organisations with more traditional measures, such as deaths and the number of days patients spent in hospital.

After a traumatic brain injury, brain cells may struggle to produce energy normally and may start relying more on less efficient, oxygen-limited processes. Doctors often monitor this using the balance between two chemicals, lactate and pyruvate. In this study, researchers tested a different measure that looks at how lactate changes in relation to pyruvate over periods of time. They analysed monitoring data from 591 patients treated in Cambridge and Uppsala, and also tested the measure in human nerve cells grown in the laboratory. The new measure was linked to lower glucose levels in the brain and, in the Cambridge group, to poorer recovery six months after injury. It also increased when energy production was deliberately disrupted in laboratory-grown nerve cells. These findings suggest that this time-based measure may identify abnormal, oxygen-limited energy use in the injured brain more accurately than the commonly used lactate-to-pyruvate ratio. It could therefore help clinicians better understand changes in brain metabolism after traumatic brain injury.

Approximately 4000 head-injured patients undergo emergency brain surgery each year in the UK, of whom two-thirds have a blood clot between the outer lining of the brain and the brain itself, known as an acute subdural haematoma, and if not removed, it can be life-threatening. When an acute subdural haematoma is evacuated, a piece of skull can be left out, known as a decompressive craniectomy, or replaced prior to closing the skin, known as a craniotomy.

After a traumatic brain injury, inflammation in and around the brain can make the injury worse and affect recovery. Some of this response is influenced by a person’s genes, but current studies are still too small to clearly identify which genes matter most. This review focuses on genes involved in the adaptive immune system — the part of the immune system that learns and responds to specific threats — because these genes are known to affect the risk of many diseases and may also influence recovery after traumatic brain injury. By highlighting the most promising immune-related genes to study, the review aims to help researchers test clearer, more focused ideas in future genetic studies of traumatic brain injury.

Meningiomas are tumours that grow in the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Most are slow-growing, but grade 2 and grade 3 meningiomas are more serious and are more likely to come back after treatment. Because these types are less common, there is limited information about what usually happens to patients after surgery. This study brings together evidence from previous research to better estimate how often these tumours return, and how many people remain well or survive five years after treatment. The findings should help doctors, researchers, and patients better understand the outlook for people with grade 2 and grade 3 meningiomas.