The role of early brain injury in subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a cerebrovascular disease with high mortality and morbidity. It has been suggested that the major causes of death and disability in SAH are cerebral vasospasm and early brain injury (EBI). Although cerebral vasospasm was widely studied using a lot of drugs, the outcome was hardly improved even if the drugs were effective for reduction of arterial diameter. Therefore, now EBI is a good candidate target for future research in SAH. It would be very beneficial for SAH patients if the pathophysiology of EBI is clarified and new therapies can be used in a clinical setting. In this review, we introduce some pivotal concepts for studying EBI in SAH for translational research.