Research

The Division of Neurocritical Care in the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics and the Department of Neurosurgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center conducts multiple clinical trials and has a large and active group of researchers.

Our researchers investigate problems such as ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and traumatic brain injury as well as problems related to these diseases, including communication and nursing management in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.

Stroke Trials

Stroke Hyperglycemia Insulin Network Effort (SHINE)

  • A phase III randomized, controlled trial of tight glucose control in diabetics with acute ischemic stroke
  • Funded by NINDS
  • Chris Hall is the Recruitment PI for the overall trial; Katrina is the Recruitment Specialist for the overall trial.
  • Local PI: Christiana Hall, M.D.
  • Local Coordinator: Katrina van de Bruinhorst katrina.vandebruinhorst@utsouthwestern.edu

Ethnic and Racial Differences in Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ERICH)

Minimally Invasive Surgery plus rtPA for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Evacuation-Phase III (MISTIE III)

  • A phase III, randomized, case-controlled, open-label, 500-subject clinical trial of minimally invasive surgery plus rt-PA in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage
  • Funded by NINDS
  • Lead site is Johns Hopkins with overall study PI Daniel Hanley
  • Local PI: Tony Whitworth
  • Local Coordinator: Jenny Benitez jenny.benitez@utsouthwestern.edu

 Nursing-driven Acute Stroke Care (NAS-Care)

Quality Care Improvement with Nursing-driven Acute Stroke CARe (QCI-NASCARe)

TBI Trials

INvestigating TREatments for the Prevention of secondary Injury and Disability following TBI (INTREPID-2566 Study)

  • A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Dose-escalation Study of NNZ-2566 in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • Funded by the US Department of Defense, Neuren Pharmaceuticals, and the Geneva Foundation
  • Local PI: Steve Figueroa
  • Local Coordinator: Katrina van de Bruinhorst katrina.vandebruinhorst@utsouthwestern.edu

Neuroimaging to predict coma emergence and recovery (NICER)

  • Examines prognostic models that integrate quantitative MRI to predict recovery with greater accuracy than existing models
  • Submitted to NINDS
  • Lead site Johns Hopkins with overall study PI Robert Johnson
  • Local PI: Steve Figueroa
  • Local Coordinator: Katrina van de Bruinhorst katrina.vandebruinhorst@utsouthwestern.edu

Other Trials

Brain Computer Interface

  • Examines a specially modified EEG (electroencephalogram) called a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) to help improve communication between patients who cannot speak and their families and caregivers
  • Submitting to National Science Foundation
  • Local PI: Venkatesh Aiyagari
  • Local Coordinator: Katrina van de Bruinhorst katrina.vandebruinhorst@utsouthwestern.edu

A Novel Approach To Exploring The Impact of Various Nursing Interventions In Critical Care-NATIVE

  • Prospective observational study design to gather data from medical records, direct observation, video recording, and data streaming to examine nursing interventions that affect patients
  • Funded by Covidien
  • Local PI: DaiWai Olson
  • Local Coordinator: Sonja Stutzman sonja.stutzman@utsouthwestern.edu

Neuroscience Nursing Research Center (NNRC)

  • Provides guidance to nurses who are interested in engaging in research by leveraging and coordinating existing research-related resources
  • Director: DaiWai Olson
  • Program Manager: Sonja Stutzman sonja.stutzman@utsouthwestern.edu

Pupillary Inter-rater Reliability Assessment

  • Explores differences between the ways that clinicians score pupillary changes versus how a device scores pupillary changes
  • Funded by NeurOptics, Inc.
  • Local PI: DaiWai Olson
  • Local Coordinator: Sonja Stutzman sonja.stutzman@utsouthwestern.edu

A week in the neurocritical care unit: point prevalence observational study in neurocritical care: PRINCE Study

  • a multicenter prospective, observational study to assess the current scope of practice among neurointensivists
  • Distributed by the Neurocritical Care Research Network (NCRN)
  • Local PI: Steve Figueroa
  • Local Coordinator: Katrina van de Bruinhorst katrina.vandebruinhorst@utsouthwestern.edu

Upcoming Trials

Sound in Neuroscience Intensive Care (SoNIC)

  • examines the potential for music therapy to reduce sedative requirements by reducing anxiety and agitation
  • Local PI: DaiWai Olson
  • Local Coordinator: Sonja Stutzman sonja.stutzman@utsouthwestern.edu
    • Substudy: Music and TV in Neurocritical Care (MATINEE)
    • Survey of clinicians’ preferences in the use of music and television in the Neuro ICU

EMR Validation: Exploring the Reliability of Intracranial Pressure Data Abstracted from the Electronic Medical Record (VERDAD)

  • compares the reliability of ICP data sampled during a 24-hour period using three recording methods: 1) pen and paper, 2) EMR, and 3) CDA
  • Local PI: DaiWai Olson
  • Local Coordinator: Sonja Stutzman sonja.stutzman@utsouthwestern.edu

Patient-centered Research into Outcomes Stroke Patients Prefer and Effectiveness Research (PROSPER): Implementing the Patient-Driven Research Paradigm to Aid Decision Making in Stroke Care

  • Enhance understanding of current outpatient treatment patterns, as well as the use of medications and programs that are predicted to lower risk of complications from  stroke
  • Funded by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
  • Local PI: DaiWai Olson
  • Local Coordinator: Sonja Stutzman sonja.stutzman@utsouthwestern.edu

A Pilot Evaluation of an Education Program for Professional Development in Nursing (Language of data)

  • Implement the Language of Data educational toolkit and to evaluate the feasibility of using the toolkit for education of nursing staff in the clinical setting
  • Local PI: DaiWai Olson
  • Local Coordinator: Sonja Stutzman sonja.stutzman@utsouthwestern.edu