Advances and Challenges in Traumatic Brain Injury from a Forensic Perspective.

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability. Animal and clinical studies of TBI have greatly changed the clinical practice of TBI with the development and application of new technologies. However, with the development of forensic science, legal issues related to TBI continue to emerge, and it is still far from satisfactory that the practical application of relevant research findings as legal evidence in court practice. This review discusses an overview of the latest progress of TBI through neuropathological changes, secondary injury mechanisms, postmortem neuroimaging, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impairments, biomarkers, and the effects of toxins and drugs on brain injury from a forensic perspective. Meanwhile, we highlight the interpretability and limitations of findings on TBI in legal proceedings are ongoing challenges.