CEREBO – Indigenous Brain Tool

Source: TH

Context: CEREBO, an indigenous hand-held diagnostic device developed by ICMR with AIIMS Bhopal, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and Bioscan Research, has been launched to detect traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) within a minute.

About CEREBO – Indigenous Brain Tool

What it is?

• A hand-held, portable, non-invasive diagnostic device for brain injuries.

• Uses near-infrared spectroscopy + machine learning to detect brain abnormalities within a minute.

Developed by:

• Collaboration between ICMR, Medical Device & Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS), AIIMS Bhopal, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and Bioscan Research.

• To provide a low-cost, rapid, radiation-free diagnostic tool for Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), especially where CT/MRI access is limited.

Features:

• Detects intracranial bleeding and brain edema in under a minute.

• Safe for infants and pregnant women.

• Can be used by paramedics and unskilled staff in ambulances, rural clinics, trauma centres, and disaster zones.

• Colour-coded results, easy to interpret.

• Validated through multi-centre clinical trials; approved for emergency and military use.

Importance:

• Bridges the diagnostic gap in rural & underserved areas.

• Enables early detection and triage, reducing fatality and long-term complications.

• Reduces dependence on costly, infrastructure-heavy imaging (CT/MRI).

• Potential for global adoption in trauma and emergency medicine.

About Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):

• What it is?

• A disruption of normal brain function caused by sudden trauma to the head. Can range from mild (concussion) to severe, often leading to lasting disabilities.

• A disruption of normal brain function caused by sudden trauma to the head.

• Can range from mild (concussion) to severe, often leading to lasting disabilities.

• Causes: Road accidents (≈60%), Falls (20–25%), and Violence (≈10%).

• Features / Consequences:

• Immediate: Loss of consciousness, confusion, headache, dizziness, seizures. Complications: Intracranial bleeding, swelling (edema), coma. Long-term: Memory loss, cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, behavioural issues, risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Hidden risk: Mild TBIs may go undiagnosed initially but worsen over time if untreated.

• Immediate: Loss of consciousness, confusion, headache, dizziness, seizures.

• Complications: Intracranial bleeding, swelling (edema), coma.

• Long-term: Memory loss, cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, behavioural issues, risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

• Hidden risk: Mild TBIs may go undiagnosed initially but worsen over time if untreated.