Research on brain recovery from concussion and traumatic brain injury

At OHSU’s Piantino Lab, we study the effects of concussion and severe traumatic brain injury. Our team of neuroscientists, neurologists and neurosurgeons are looking closely at how the brain recovers from injury. We know that sleep is crucial because it allows the brain to clear toxic products from damaged brain cells.

Our concussion studies focus on children and young adults because their brains are still developing. Up to 3 million U.S. children and young adults sustain a concussion each year. The injury may cause dizziness and problems with concentration, vision and memory. These symptoms may last months. A history of concussion can increase the risk of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease. 

We also study the impact of traumatic brain injury on active-duty military members and veterans.

We are proud to be part of the Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute. 

On this page you can:

• Learn about our research projects
• Find links to our publications
• Meet our team

Lab news

Brain’s waste-clearance pathways revealed for the first time. The Piantino Lab’s study of neurosurgery patients created images of never-before-seen perivascular spaces within the brain.

Research projects

The Piantino Lab studies brain health and concussion recovery from birth to old age.

Infancy and childhood

Cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in neonatal hypoxic ischemic injury: When an infant’s brain does not get enough oxygen before or during birth, they may have a brain injury called hypoxic ischemic injury. This study looks at how these injuries affect the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid and the brain's ability to clear waste products. Working in collaboration with Dr. Brian Scottoline, the study recruits infants from OHSU's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Effects of prematurity on infant perivascular space burden: In this study, we are trying to understand how premature birth affects brain structures called cerebral perivascular spaces. These structures help monitor the immune system and remove waste products. We collaborate with Dr. Steven Miller from the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute.

Perivascular space development across childhood and adolescence: This study tracks the growth of perivascular space in healthy adolescents. We are looking to see whether sleep disruption or headaches affect the growth of these brain structures. Sex and ethnicity may also affect their development. We are collaborating with the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence, and this study is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Concussion and athletics

Concussion and sleep in high school and college athletes: These two related studies look at the effects of concussion on high school and college athletes. We use neuroimaging to study the flow of cerebral fluid and track the buildup of waste products in the brain. We also want to better understand whether sleep disruption affects the recovery process. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute is funding this project.

Concussion and military service

Concussion and biomarkers of injury in active-duty military: With funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, we study active-duty military members who have experienced a traumatic brain injury. We want to understand how TBIs affect the circulation of cerebral fluid. We also want to identify the biological signs in the brain of a TBI. We collaborate with researchers at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and the Portland Veterans Affairs Health Care System. 

Neurodegeneration in veterans with a history of blast traumatic brain injury: Explosions may cause TBIs. We are studying why some soldiers who had repeated blast-related TBIs later develop Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders. We are working with the University of Washington's Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center on this study.

Aging and sleep

Sleep disruption and risk for Alzheimer’s disease in an aging population: Along with the University of Washington's Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, we are studying sleep disruption in older adults. We want to understand why sleep problems increase the risk of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. 

Sleep disruption in Parkinson’s disease for people with a history of TBI: We want to understand why a history of TBI and sleep problems may lead to Parkinson’s disease. We are working on this study with the University of Washington's Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center. The Defense Department funds this study.

Publications

Find more publications by Dr. Piantino on PubMed.

The perivascular space is a conduit for cerebrospinal fluid flow in humans: A proof-of-principle report 
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2024 
Yamamoto EA, Bagley JH, Geltzeiler M, Sanusi OR, Dogan A, Liu JJ, Piantino J 

Perivascular Space Burden and Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in US Veterans With Blast-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Journal of Neurotrauma 2024 
Yamamoto EA, Koike S, Luther M, Dennis L, Lim MM, Raskind M, Pagulayan K, Iliff J, Peskind E, Piantino JA

Dynamic changes in perivascular space morphology predict signs of spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome in bed rest 
NPJ Microgravity 2024 
Richmond SB, Seidler RD, Iliff JJ, Schwartz DL, Luther M, Silbert LC, Wood SJ, Bloomberg JJ, Mulder E, Lee JK, De Luca A, Piantino J 

Longitudinal Sleep Patterns and Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults
JAMA Network Open 2023
Keil SA, Schindler AG, Wang MX, Piantino J, Silber LC, Elliott JE, Werhane ML, Thomas RG, Willis S, Lim MM, Iliff JJ 

Longitudinal MRI-visible perivascular space (PVS) changes with long-duration spaceflight
Scientific Reports 2022
Hupfeld KE, Richmond SB, McGregor HR, Schwartz DL, Luther MN, Beltran NE, Kofman IS, De Dios YE, Riascos RF, Wood SJ, Bloomberg JJ, Mulavara AP, Silbert LC, Iliff JJ, Seidler RD, Piantino J

People

The Piantino Lab, led by pediatric neurologist and scientist Juan Piantino, M.D., M.C.R., is a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroscientists and experts in statistical analysis.