{
  "abstract": "Introduction: Most previous reports from Africa and other low middle-income countries (LMIC) on cranial neurotrauma address a more loosely defined subject of head injury (HI), rather than traumatic brain injury (TBI), and lack deployment of standardized scoring systems. We present a prospective TBI cohort from an academic neurosurgery practice at Ibadan, Nigeria, the nation's foremost university teaching hospital where TBI constitutes a core component of our clinical activity.\n\nMaterials and methods: This was a prospective cohort study of patients enrolled in a TBI registry over 13 years. We analyzed the clinical epidemiology of TBI, defined as cranial trauma with definite perturbation of brain function, qualified/quantified using relevant clinical features, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), the Abbreviated Injury Scale-Head (AIS-Head), and Injury Severity Score (ISS). Brain imaging was graded using the Rotterdam CT scoring system. In-hospital outcome was assessed with Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), dichotomized for analysis.\n\nResults: There were 1,440 TBI cases, 1,110 (77.1%) males, mean age [32.2 Standard deviation (SD), 19] years. Most (76%) were referrals, with delayed presentation from outlying health facilities, median duration 13 [interquartile range (IQR) 5, 48] hours. Road trauma accounted for 1,173 (82%), even in the elderly, predominantly by two- and three-wheelers (57%); fall for 136 (9.4%), this mainly in childhood. Clinically, loss of consciousness (LOC) occurred in 89%, median duration 11.0 (IQR 2, 48) hours, vomiting 25%, seizures 16%, and anisocoria in 27%. In 86% the AIS-head was >2; the TBI was moderate-severe, GCS 3–12, in 47.0%. Brain CT was obtained in 1,046/1,440 (72.6%), while 13% received acute operative treatment. In-hospital mortality was 21%, mostly among the young and the severely injured. Good outcome (GOS: good recovery/moderate deficit) was 75%. The outcomes were significantly associated with the TBI severity per the GCS scores and brain CT severity.\n\nConclusions: The clinical epidemiology of TBI from this single-institution LMIC series differs substantially from that of high-income countries. A 21% mortality predominantly affecting young economically productive adults represents a serious public health burden. Substantial gaps persist across many aspects of the TBI-management continuum, presenting clear opportunities to improve the current sub-optimal outcome-metrics in sub-Saharan Africa.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Division of Neurological Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan",
    "Department of Neurological Surgery, University College Hospital",
    "Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Federal Medical Center Owo",
    "Department of Neurosurgery, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah",
    "Department of Surgery, Osun State University",
    "Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Health System",
    "Duke Global Neurosurgery and Neurology"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "A. O. Adeleye"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "O. O. Agboola"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "T. A. Oyemolade"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "T. A. Malomo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        3
      ],
      "name": "A. L. Azeez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        4
      ],
      "name": "T. B. Rabiu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "A. K. Ukachukwu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2rahqrz0b8dfk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fneur.2026.1889484",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1889484/full",
  "id": "2rahqrz0b8dfk",
  "issns": [
    "1664-2295"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1889484/full",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "RC346-429"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2728|Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurovascular Disturbances"
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  "openalex": "W7223675631",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1889484/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2rahqrz0b8dfk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:16Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fneur.2026.1889484",
      "source": "crossref",
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  "subjects": [
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  "title": "Traumatic brain injury from a developing country in the CT-scan era: a 13-year prospective in-hospital cohort study",
  "title_text": "Traumatic brain injury from a developing country in the CT-scan era: a 13-year prospective in-hospital cohort study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:47:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2rahqrz0b8dfk",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Neurology",
  "versions": []
}