A project backed by 3 million euros (4 million U.S. dollars) of European Union (EU) funding has built sophisticated new computer models potentially able to improve trauma treatment, according to an EU statement Thursday.
The TBICARE project, a joint initiative with eight partners in Finland, France, Lithuania and Britain, collected data from hundreds of patients who have suffered brain trauma and using it to build software.
The model will predict which injuries should be treated first, and how they should treat them, as well as helping guide the care team through the patient's stabilisation and recovery.
Traumatic brain injuries affect 1.6 million people in the EU every year. A total of 70,000 don't survive and a further 100,000 are left with a permanent disability. The right treatment in the crucial hours following the accident can make all the difference, the statement said.
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for the digital agenda, said: "This project also shows the power of data in solving real-life problems."