PTPD Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Prevalence and Risk of Pituitary Dysfunction following Traumatic Brain Injury
IRAS ID
222223
Contact name
Peter/PJD Andrews
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disabilities amongst young people worldwide. Many sufferers develop chronic physical and mental health problems and are unable to work or re-engage socially after their injuries. There are therefore significant health and socioeconomic consequences.
Very little progress has been made on improving quality of life in those with long-term physical and psychological problems following TBI. Some of these problems often go undiagnosed. One such problem is damage to the pituitary gland following TBI. This condition, also known as post-TBI pituitary dysfunction (PTPD), may affect up to one-quarter of patients with. The pituitary gland is one of the most important organs in the body and works to maintain the balance of several other organs such as the sex organs and the thyroid gland. Undiagnosed PTPD is therefore a very serious medical problem.
Part of the problem with diagnosing PTPD is that many doctors are not aware of the problem. Also, because the research on PTPD has so far mostly focused on a small section of patients (usually patients with very serious TBIs), it has been difficult to work out just how common PTPD is and which groups of patients are most likely to get PTPD. The main aim of our study is to determine the prevalence of PTPD amongst Scottish patients with TBIs. We will collect information from patients across Scotland and from the full spectrum of TBIs, from the very serious to the less serious. These patients will be followed up over a year with blood tests and brain scans to determine what proportion develop PTPD and what are the risk factors for PTPD.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
17/SS/0043
Date of REC Opinion
25 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion