The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) held a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Classification and Nomenclature Workshop in early 2025. Under the guidance of the Steering Committee, six working groups were developed with clinical experts and stakeholders in the TBI field. Over the past year and a half, working group members, including a number of number of TRACK-TBI and CENTER-TBI leaders and collaborators, met regularly towards meeting their objectives. The workshop goals were:
To highlight the working groups’ findings after reviewing data from previous and existing clinical studies.
To seek public input and feedback from the TBI community and stakeholders with the goal of informing the development of a more precise, and evidence-based classification system – beyond the terms that are currently used “mild, moderate, severe.”
Findings from this workshop are presented in the following publications:
A new characterisation of acute traumatic brain injury: the NIH-NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Initiative.
Manley GT, Dams-O’Connor K, Alosco ML, Awwad HO, Bazarian JJ, Bragge P, Corrigan JD, Doperalski A, Ferguson AR, Mac Donald CL, Menon DK, McNett MM, van der Naalt J, Nelson LD, Pisică D, Silverberg ND, Umoh N, Wilson L, Yuh EL, Zetterberg H, Maas A, McCrea MA, on behalf of the members of the NIH-NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Initiative. The Lancet Neurology. Volume 24, Issue 6p512-523June 2025. <<PubMed>>
Marking a New Age in Characterization of Acute Traumatic Brain Injury: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Traumatic Brain Injury Classification and Nomenclature Initiative.
Manley GT, Dams-O’Connor K, Awwad HO, Doperalski A, Umoh N, Maas A, and McCrea MA. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2025 Jul;42(13-14):1021-1022. <<PubMed>>
Clinical Assessment on Days 1–14 for the Characterization of Traumatic Brain Injury: Recommendations from the 2024 NINDS Traumatic Brain Injury Classification and Nomenclature Initiative Clinical/Symptoms Working Group.
Menon DK, Silverberg ND, Ferguson AR, Bayuk TJ, Bhattacharyay S, Brody DL, Cota SA, Ercole A, Figaji F, Gao G, Giza C, Lecky F, Mannix R, Mikolić A, Moritz KE, Robertson CS, Torres-Espin A, Tsetsou S, Yue JK, Awad HO, Dams-O’Connor K, Doperalski, Maas A, McCrea M, Umoh N, and Manley GT. Journal of Neurotrauma. ePub ahead of print. 2025 May 20. <<PubMed>>
Blood-Based Biomarkers for Improved Characterization of Traumatic Brain Injury: Recommendations from the 2024 National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke Traumatic Brain Injury Classification and Nomenclature Initiative Blood-Based Biomarkers Working Group.
Bazarian JJ, Zetterberg H, Buki A, Dengler B, Diaz-Arrastia R, Korley FK, Lazarus R, Meier T, Mondello S, Moritz K, Okonkwo DO, Papa L, Phillips JB, Posti J, Puccio AM, Sloley S, Steyerberg E, Wang KK, Awwad HO, Dams-O’Connor K, Doperalski A, Maas A, McCrea MA, Umoh N, and Manley GT. Journal of Neurotrauma. ePub ahead of print. 2025 May 20. <<PubMed>>
Neuroimaging Characterization of Acute Traumatic Brain Injury with Focus on Frontline Clinicians: Recommendations from the 2024 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Traumatic Brain Injury Classification and Nomenclature Initiative Imaging Working Group.
Mac Donald CL, Yuh EL, Vande Vyvere T, Edlow B, Li L, Mayer A, Mukherjee P, Newcombe V, Wilde EA, Koerte IK, Yurgelun-Todd D, Wu Y, Duhaime AC, Awwad HO, Dams-O’Connor K, Doperalski A, Maas A, McCrea MA, Umoh N, and Manley GT. Journal of Neurotrauma. ePub ahead of print. 2025 May 20. <<PubMed>>
Toward More Holistic Early Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation and Care. Recommendations from the 2024 NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Initiative Psychosocial and Environmental Modifiers Working Group.
Nelson L, Wilson L, Albrecht JS, Arciniegas DB, Barthélemy EJ, Fontaine S, Gardner R, Juengst SB, Pappadis M, Ponsford J, Thomas D, Yeates K, Dams-O'Connor K, Manley GT, Maas A, McCrea M, Awwad HO, Doperalski A, Umoh N. J Neurotrauma. 2025 Jul;42(13-14):1023-1037. <<PubMed>>
Retrospective Identification and Characterization of Traumatic Brain Injury—Recommendations from the 2024 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Traumatic Brain Injury Classification and Nomenclature Initiative Retrospective Classification Working Group.
Corrigan JD, Alosco ML, van der Naalt J, Sayko Adams R, Asken B, Hinds S, Lequerica A, Newcombe V, Tenovuo O, Valera E, Yurgelun-Todd D, Doperalski A, Awwad H, Dams-O’Connor K, Maas A, McCrea MA, Umoh N, and Manley GT. J Neurotrauma. 2025 Jul;42(13-14):1086-1095. <<PubMed>>
Starting with the End in Mind: Recommendations to Optimize Implementation of a Novel TBI Classification from the 2024 NINDS TBI Classification and Nomenclature Workshop’s Knowledge to Practice Working Group.
Bragge P, McNett M, Bayley M, Dobbins M, Nakase-Richardson R, Peek-Asa C, Turgeon A, Awwad H, Dams-O’Connor K, Doperalski A, Maas A, McCrea M, Umoh N, and Manley G. J Neurotrauma. 2025 Jul;42(13-14):1096-1108. <<PubMed>>