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Translational NeuroTrauma Lab (TNT)

The Department of Neurosurgery Translational NeuroTrauma Laboratory (TNT) is the laboratory of Dr. Laura Ngwenya, MD, PhD. The TNT Laboratory focuses on the mechanisms that underlie poor recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI affects more than 2.8 million people in the US annually. However, despite the widespread societal and economic impact, there are no effective treatments for traumatic brain injury. Especially devastating are the cognitive deficits that occur after TBI. The TNT Laboratory utilizes clinical research, bioinformatics, and an experimental model of TBI to explore the underlying mechanisms of poor recovery after TBI and search for potential treatments. We employ statistical and bioinformatics analyses, cognitive / behavioral testing, histology and immunohistochemistry, stereological quantification, electrophysiology, and molecular techniques. The current focus of our NIH funded laboratory is exploring the interplay between spreading depolarizations, adult neurogenesis, and TBI. We have many collaborators throughout UC and CCHMC, including Dr. Jennifer McGuire (Asst. Prof, Neurosurgery), Dr. Jed Hartings (Professor, Neurosurgery), Dr. Steve Danzer (Professor, Anesthesia, CCHMC), Dr. Brandon Foreman (Assoc. Prof, Neurology), and Dr. Danny Wu (Asst. Professor, Biomedical Informatics). The TNT laboratory is affiliated with the UCGNI Neurotrauma Center, as well as the Collaborative for Research on Acute Neurological Injuries (CRANI).

2022

Foreman, Brandon; Lee, Hyunjo; Okonkwo, David O; Strong, Anthony J; Pahl, Clemens; Shutter, Lori A; Dreier, Jens P; Ngwenya, Laura B; Hartings, Jed A 2022. The Relationship Between Seizures and Spreading Depolarizations in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurocritical care, ,

Ikeda, Daniel S; Chiocca, E Antonio; Lonser, Russel R; Sutton, Tracy E; McGregor, John M; Rea, Gary L; Schunemann, Victoria A; Ngwenya, Laura B; Marlin, Evan S; Porensky, Paul N; Shaikhouni, Ammar; Huntoon, Kristin; Dornbos, David; Shaw, Andrew B; Thoman, William J; Powers, Ciarán J 2022. Carole A. Miller, MD: Matriarch of the Ohio State University's Department of Neurosurgery. World neurosurgery, 166 , 33-38

Bodien, Yelena G; Barber, Jason; Taylor, Sabrina R; Boase, Kim Dawn; Corrigan, John D; Dikmen, Sureyya; Gardner, Raquel C; Kramer, Joel; Levin, Harvey; Machamer, Joan; McAllister, Thomas; Nelson, Lindsay D; Ngwenya, Laura Benjamin; Sherer, Mark; Stein, Murray B; Vassar, Mary J; Whyte, John; Yue, John K; Markowitz, Amy J; McCrea, Michael; Manley, Geoffrey T; Temkin, Nancy; Giacino, Joseph 2022. Feasibility and utility of a flexible outcome assessment battery for longitudinal traumatic brain injury research: A TRACK-TBI study. Journal of neurotrauma, ,

Alfawares, Yara; Folz, Caroline; Johnson, Mark D; Prestigiacomo, Charles J; Ngwenya, Laura B 2022. The history of antibiotic irrigation and prophylaxis in operative neurotrauma: perpetuation of military care in civilian settings. Neurosurgical focus, 53 3, E7

Bradshaw, Paige Garber; Keegan, Shaun; Foertsch, Madeline; Yang, George L; Ngwenya, Laura B; Srinivasan, Vasisht 2022. Andexanet alfa after 4-factor PCC administration for intracranial hemorrhage: a case series. Journal of thrombosis and thrombolysis, 54 2, 295-300

Yang, George L; Johnson, Mark D; Solomon, Daniel; Ferguson, Andrew M; Johnson, Reid A; Gerges, Christina; Wright, James M; Parr, Ann M; Ngwenya, Laura B 2022. The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Penetrating Neurotrauma at a Level 1 Trauma Center. World neurosurgery, 164 , e530-e539

Johnson, Reid A; Eaton, Anne; Tignanelli, Christopher J; Carrabre, Kailey J; Gerges, Christina; Yang, George L; Hemmila, Mark R; Ngwenya, Laura B; Wright, James M; Parr, Ann M 2022. Changes in patterns of traumatic brain injury in the Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program database early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of neurosurgery, , 1-11

Johnson, Mark D; Stolz, Uwe; Carroll, Christopher P; Yang, George L; Andaluz, Norberto; Foreman, Brandon; Kreitzer, Natalie; Goodman, Michael D; Ngwenya, Laura B 2022. An independent, external validation and component analysis of the Surviving Penetrating Injury to the Brain score for civilian cranial gunshot injuries. Journal of neurosurgery, , 1-8

2021

Wright, James M; Gerges, Christina; Shammassian, Berje; Labak, Collin M; Herring, Eric Z; Miller, Benjamin; Alkhachroum, Ayham; Kottapally, Mohan; Huang Wright, Christina; Rodgers, Richard B; Sedney, Cara; Ngwenya, Laura B; Stippler, Martina; Sieg, Emily; Babu, Maya A; Hoffer, Alan; Hejal, Rana 2021. Prone Position Ventilation in Neurologically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review and Proposed Protocol. Critical care medicine, ,

Robinson, Michael W; Prestigiacomo, Charles J; Ngwenya, Laura B 2021. Commentary: Intracerebral Hemorrhage Volume Reduction and Timing of Intervention Versus Functional Benefit and Survival in the MISTIE III and STICH Trials. Neurosurgery, 88 5, E394-E395

Robinson, David; Pyle, Logan; Foreman, Brandon; Ngwenya, Laura B; Adeoye, Opeolu; Woo, Daniel; Kreitzer, Natalie 2021. Antithrombotic regimens and need for critical care interventions among patients with subdural hematomas. The American journal of emergency medicine, 47 , 6-12

Casillo, Stephanie M; Venkatesh, Anisha; Muthiah, Nallammai; Agarwal, Nitin; Scott, Teresa; Romani, Rossana; Fernández, Laura L; Aristizabal, Sarita; Ginalis, Elizabeth E; Ozair, Ahmad; Bhat, Vivek; Faruqi, Arjumand; Bajaj, Ankur; Sonkar, Abhinav Arun; Ikeda, Daniel S; Chiocca, E Antonio; Lonser, Russell R; Sutton, Tracy E; McGregor, John M; Rea, Gary L; Schunemann, Victoria A; Ngwenya, Laura B; Marlin, Evan S; Porensky, Paul N; Shaikhouni, Ammar; Huntoon, Kristin; Dornbos, David; Shaw, Andrew B; Powers, Ciarán J; Gluski, Jacob M; Culver, Lauren G; Goodwin, Alyssa M; Ham, Steven; Marupudi, Neena I; Bhat, Dhananjaya I; Berry, Katherine M; Wu, Eva M; Wang, Michael Y 2021. Biographies of international women leaders in neurosurgery. Neurosurgical focus, 50 3, E19

Correll, Erika A; Ramser, Benjamin J; Knott, Maxon V; McCullumsmith, Robert E; McGuire, Jennifer L; Ngwenya, Laura B 2021. Deficits in pattern separation and dentate gyrus proliferation after rodent lateral fluid percussion injury. IBRO neuroscience reports, 10 , 31-41

Knott, Maxon V; Ngwenya, Laura B; Correll, Erika A; Bohnert, Judy; Ziemba, Noah J; Allgire, Emily; Hopkins, Tracy; McGuire, Jennifer L 2021. Lack of Glutamate Receptor Subunit Expression Changes in Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus after Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury in a Rodent Model of Depression. International journal of molecular sciences, 22 15,

Robinson, David; Kreitzer, Natalie; Ngwenya, Laura B; Adeoye, Opeolu; Woo, Daniel; Hartings, Jed; Foreman, Brandon 2021. Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Reveals Distinct Patterns of Cytotoxic Edema in Patients with Subdural Hematomas. Journal of neurotrauma, ,

Foreman, Brandon; Lee, Hyunjo; Mizrahi, Moshe A; Hartings, Jed A; Ngwenya, Laura B; Privitera, Michael; Tortella, Frank C; Zhang, Nanhua; Kramer, Joel H 2021. Seizures and Cognitive Outcome After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Post Hoc Analysis. Neurocritical care, ,

Wright, James; Elder, Theresa; Gerges, Christina; Reisen, Breanne; Wright, Christina; Jella, Tarun; Shah, Sanjit; Yang, George; Ngwenya, Laura B; Wang, Vincent; Parr, Ann M 2021. A systematic review of telehealth for the delivery of emergent neurosurgical care. Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 27 5, 261-268

2020

Robinson, David; Pyle, Logan; Foreman, Brandon; Ngwenya, Laura B; Adeoye, Opeolu; Woo, Daniel; Kreitzer, Natalie 2020. Factors Associated with Early versus Delayed Expansion of Acute Subdural Hematomas Initially Managed Conservatively. Journal of neurotrauma, ,

Matur, Abhijith V; Ngwenya, Laura B; Prestigiacomo, Charles J 2020. The surgical history of head injury in motor vehicle collision. Journal of neurosurgery, , 1-7

Barhorst, Kinsey A; Alfawares, Yara; McGuire, Jennifer L; Danzer, Steve C; Hartings, Jed A; Ngwenya, Laura B 2020. Remote and Persistent Alterations in Glutamate Receptor Subunit Composition Induced by Spreading Depolarizations in Rat Brain. Cellular and molecular neurobiology, ,

Shah, Sanjit; Yang, George L; Le, Diana T; Gerges, Christina; Wright, James M; Parr, Ann M; Cheng, Joseph S; Ngwenya, Laura B 2020. Examining the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act: impact on telemedicine for neurotrauma. Neurosurgical focus, 49 5, E8

Le, Diana T; Barhorst, Kinsey A; Castiglione, James; Yang, George L; Shah, Sanjit J; Harlan, Sarah S; Keegan, Shaun P; Jandarov, Roman A; Ngwenya, Laura B; Prestigiacomo, Charles J 2020. Blunt cerebrovascular injury in the geriatric population. Neurosurgical focus, 49 4, E10

Rath, Kelly; Kreitzer, Natalie; Schlichter, Erika; Lopez, Omar; Ferioli, Simona; Ngwenya, Laura B; Foreman, Brandon 2020. The Experience of a Neurocritical Care Admission and Discharge for Patients and Their Families: A Qualitative Analysis. The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, 52 4, 179-185

Rhame, Katherine; Le, Diana; Ventura, Amanda; Horner, Amy; Andaluz, Norberto; Miller, Christopher; Stolz, Uwe; Ngwenya, Laura B; Adeoye, Opeolu; Kreitzer, Natalie 2020. Management of the mild traumatic brain injured patient using a multidisciplinary observation unit protocol. The American journal of emergency medicine, ,

Rhame, Katherine; Le, Diana; Horner, Amy; Thomas, Andrea; Foreman, Brandon P; Kreitzer, Natalie P; Ngwenya, Laura B 2020. Implementation of a Neurotrauma Hotline for post-hospital continuity of care. Acta neurologica Scandinavica, 141 4, 351-354

Hartings, Jed A; Andaluz, Norberto; Bullock, M Ross; Hinzman, Jason M; Mathern, Bruce; Pahl, Clemens; Puccio, Ava; Shutter, Lori A; Strong, Anthony J; Vagal, Achala; Wilson, J Adam; Dreier, Jens P; Ngwenya, Laura B; Foreman, Brandon; Pahren, Laura; Lingsma, Hester; Okonkwo, David O 2020. Prognostic Value of Spreading Depolarizations in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. JAMA neurology, 77 4, 489-499

Ngwenya, Laura B 2020. Commentary: Concussion Guidelines Step 2: Evidence for Subtype Classification. Neurosurgery, 86 1, E1

Simpkins, Alexis N; Busl, Katharina M; Amorim, Edilberto; Barnett-Tapia, Carolina; Cervenka, Mackenzie C; Dhakar, Monica B; Etherton, Mark R; Fung, Celia; Griggs, Robert; Holloway, Robert G; Kelly, Adam G; Khan, Imad R; Lizarraga, Karlo J; Madagan, Hannah G; Onweni, Chidinma L; Mestre, Humberto; Rabinstein, Alejandro A; Rubinos, Clio; Dionisio-Santos, Dawling A; Youn, Teddy S; Merck, Lisa H; Maciel, Carolina B 2020. Proceedings from the Neurotherapeutics Symposium on Neurological Emergencies: Shaping the Future of Neurocritical Care. Neurocritical care, 33 3, 636-645

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Department of
Neurosurgery

231 Albert Sabin Way
PO Box 670769
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0515

Mailing Address
University of Cincinnati
College of Medicine
Department of Neurosurgery
PO Box 670515
Cincinnati Ohio 45267-0515