Neurotrauma Lab
The Department of Neurosurgery Neurotrauma Laboratory is the laboratory of Dr. Laura Ngwenya, MD, PhD. The Neurotrauma Laboratory is affiliated with the UCGNI Neurotrauma Center, as well as the Collaborative for Research on Acute Neurological Injuries (CRANI). Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 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 Neurotrauma Laboratory is a basic and translational laboratory that focuses on the mechanisms that underlie poor recovery after TBI. Using an experimental model of TBI, we examine acute and subacute cognitive deficits, and explore underlying mechanisms for potential treatments. We employ cognitive / behavioral testing, histology and immunohistochemistry, stereological quantification, electrophysiology, and molecular techniques. The current direction 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 (Instructor, Dept. of Neurosurgery), Dr. Jed Hartings (Professor, Dept. of Neurosurgery), and Dr. Steve Danzer (Professor, Dept. of Anesthesia, CCHMC). Our lab’s ultimate goal is to discover the mechanisms that underlie poor recovery after TBI, such that we can design targeted therapies to improve patient outcomes.
2018
Hartings, Jed A; Ngwenya, Laura B; Carroll, Christopher P; Foreman, Brandon 2018. Letter to the Editor. Ketamine sedation for the suppression of spreading depolarizations. Journal of neurosurgery, , 1-2
McGuire, Jennifer L; DePasquale, Erica A K; Watanabe, Miki; Anwar, Fatima; Ngwenya, Laura B; Atluri, Gowtham; Romick-Rosendale, Lindsey E; McCullumsmith, Robert E; Evanson, Nathan K 2018. Chronic Dysregulation of Cortical and Subcortical Metabolism After Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury. Molecular neurobiology, ,
Foreman, Brandon; Ngwenya, Laura B; Stoddard, Erica; Hinzman, Jason M; Andaluz, Norberto; Hartings, Jed A 2018. Safety and Reliability of Bedside, Single Burr Hole Technique for Intracranial Multimodality Monitoring in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurocritical care, ,
Hartings, Jed A; Ngwenya, Laura B; Watanabe, Tomas; Foreman, Brandon 2018. Commentary: Detecting Cortical Spreading Depolarization with Full Band Scalp Electroencephalography: An Illusion? Frontiers in systems neuroscience, 12 , 19
Ngwenya, Laura B; Mazumder, Sarmistha; Porter, Zachary R; Minnema, Amy; Oswald, Duane J; Farhadi, H Francis 2018. Implantation of Neuronal Stem Cells Enhances Object Recognition without Increasing Neurogenesis after Lateral Fluid Percussion Injury in Mice. Stem cells international, 2018 , 4209821
Ngwenya, Laura B; Gardner, Raquel C; Yue, John K; Burke, John F; Ferguson, Adam R; Huang, Michael C; Winkler, Ethan A; Pirracchio, Romain; Satris, Gabriela G; Yuh, Esther L; Mukherjee, Pratik; Valadka, Alex B; Okonkwo, David O; Manley, Geoffrey T 2018. Concordance of common data elements for assessment of subjective cognitive complaints after mild-traumatic brain injury: a TRACK-TBI Pilot Study. Brain injury, 32 9, 1071-1078
2017
Estrada, Larissa I; Robinson, Amy A; Amaral, Ana C; Giannaris, Eustathia L; Heyworth, Nadine C; Mortazavi, Farzad; Ngwenya, Laura B; Roberts, Debra E; Cabral, Howard J; Killiany, Ronald J; Rosene, Douglas L 2017. Evaluation of Long-Term Cryostorage of Brain Tissue Sections for Quantitative Histochemistry. The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society, 65 3, 153-171
Ngwenya, Laura B; Suen, Catherine G; Tarapore, Phiroz E; Manley, Geoffrey T; Huang, Michael C 2017. Safety and cost efficiency of a restrictive transfusion protocol in patients with traumatic brain injury. Journal of neurosurgery, , 1-8
Yue, John K; Ngwenya, Laura B; Upadhyayula, Pavan S; Deng, Hansen; Winkler, Ethan A; Burke, John F; Lee, Young M; Robinson, Caitlin K; Ferguson, Adam R; Lingsma, Hester F; Cnossen, Maryse C; Pirracchio, Romain; Korley, Frederick K; Vassar, Mary J; Yuh, Esther L; Mukherjee, Pratik; Gordon, Wayne A; Valadka, Alex B; Okonkwo, David O; Manley, Geoffrey T 2017. Emergency department blood alcohol level associates with injury factors and six-month outcome after uncomplicated mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia, ,
Yue, John K; Burke, John F; Upadhyayula, Pavan S; Winkler, Ethan A; Deng, Hansen; Robinson, Caitlin K; Pirracchio, Romain; Suen, Catherine G; Sharma, Sourabh; Ferguson, Adam R; Ngwenya, Laura B; Stein, Murray B; Manley, Geoffrey T; Tarapore, Phiroz E 2017. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for Treating Neurocognitive and Neuropsychiatric Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury: An Evaluation of Current Evidence. Brain sciences, 7 8,
Martin, Grace E; Carroll, Christopher P; Plummer, Zach J; Millar, D A; Pritts, Timothy A; Makley, Amy T; Joseph, Bellal A; Ngwenya, Laura B; Goodman, Michael D 2017. Safety and Efficacy of Brain Injury Guidelines at a Level III Trauma Center. The journal of trauma and acute care surgery, ,
Contact Us
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