title: BrainIT collaborative network: analyses from a high time-resolution dataset of head injured patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The BrainIT project was conceived in 1997 and has grown into an international collaboration with the purpose of gathering high time resolution data from head injured patients utilising standardised methodologies.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1998, 22 participating neuroscience centres collected three main types of information: demographic, physiological data and clinical treatment information. A data collection solution was provided for each centre dependent on their existing facilities and data were collected for the duration of monitoring as defined by the routine care in each centre. On completion of ICP monitoring all personal information was removed and then transferred to Glasgow via the internet where it was converted into a standard format and entered into a central database. Outcome was measured using the extended Glasgow Outcome Score using an interview questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data has been obtained from a total of 349 patients (277 male and 72 female) The age of these patients ranged from 1 to 87 years (median 31); 145 had been involved in a traffic accident and 32 were pedestrians; 78 had suffered a fall; 24 were assaulted and the remaining 70 of other causes. A large amount of physiological data was collected (e.g. BP 2,531 days, ICP 2,212 days in total). This dataset has provided the opportunity to perform unique analysis and these include the statistical features of blood pressure, diurnal variations in ICP, optimal sampling rate determination and a comparison of summary measures of secondary insults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This challenging collaboration has brought together a large number of centres and developed a successful clinical research network focussed on improving the treatment of head injured patients. It has successfully collected a vast quantity of high quality data that provides a rich source for analysis and hypothesis testing.
authors.affiliation: Regional Medical Physics Department, The James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, UKTS4 3BW. iain.chambers@stees.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gregson
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Citerio
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enblad
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Howells
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiening
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mattern
authors.forename: Pelle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Piper
authors.forename: Arminas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ragauskas
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sahuquillo
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yau
mesh_terms: D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003628:Database Management Systems; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007391:International Cooperation; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors