Staff Physician, Surgical Service, SFVAMC
Clinical Professor Emeritus of Neurological Surgery, UCSF

Email: grant.gauger@va.gov

Dr. Gauger has extensive expertise in the treatment of brain and spinal cord injury and neurological trauma. Currently, he is investigating the uses of MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to measure changes in the brain in post-concussion. Blunt trauma of the human brain, which occurs in a wide variety of military operations, presents serious problems in assessment, treatment, and outcome prediction. Mild traumatic brain injury - concussion - is frequently followed by a clinical syndrome that is associated with serious disability, despite the absence of significant abnormalities on conventional radiologic imaging. Previous studies of concussion subjects using 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging have revealed evidence of widespread metabolic changes. In order to clarify the extent and significance of such changes, Dr. Gauger is studying concussion subjects using MRI and DTI data obtained with a higher-resolution 4 Tesla MRI system. This research is anticipated to lead to improved understanding of post-concussion syndrome, with early application to important decisions in the assessment and treatment of injured military personnel.

Govindaraju V, Gauger GE, Manley GT, Ebel A, Meeker M, Maudsley AA. 2004. Volumetric proton spectroscopic imaging of mild traumatic brain injury. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 25(5):730-7.