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Updated: May 21, 2026
Advanced Diffusion Imaging in The Hippocampus of Rats with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 14, 2019
Decreased fractional anisotropy evaluated using tract-based spatial statistics and correlated with cognitive
1Chubu Medical Center for Prolonged Traumatic Brain Dysfunction, Kizawa Memorial Hospital, and Department of Clinical Brain Sciences, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Minokamo, Gifu, Japan. tetsuya-wada@umin.ac.jp
Background And Purpose:
The relationship between white matter disruption and cognitive dysfunction of patients with mTBI in the chronic stage remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify white matter integrity by using DTI in patients with mTBI without morphologic traumatic abnormalities seen with conventional imaging and to evaluate the association of such regions with cognitive function.
Materials And Methods:
Diffusion tensor images from 51 consecutive patients with mTBI without morphologic traumatic abnormalities on conventional MRI were processed, and FA maps were generated as a measure of white matter integrity. All subjects underwent cognitive examinations (MMSE and WAIS-R FIQ). Correlations between the skeletonized FA values in the white matter and the cognitive function were analyzed by using regression analysis.
Results:
In patients with mTBI, significantly decreased FA value clusters in the white matter compared with the healthy controls were found in the superior longitudinal fasciculus, superior frontal gyrus, insula, and fornix. Cognitive examination scores positively correlated with FA values in a number of regions in deep brain structures, which were anatomically close or physiologically intimate to the regions with significant FA value reduction, in patients with mTBI.
Conclusions:
The present study shows that patients with mTBI in the chronic stage have certain regions with abnormally reduced white matter integrity in the brain. Although the clinical and pathologic-anatomic correlation of these findings remains to be elucidated, these brain regions are strongly suggested to be related to chronic persistent cognitive impairments in these patients.
Insights
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients show reduced white matter integrity in specific brain regions, linked to persistent cognitive impairments. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) revealed these changes in the chronic stage.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The chronic-stage cognitive deficits following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are not fully understood.
- White matter integrity disruption is a potential cause of cognitive dysfunction in mTBI patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify white matter integrity changes using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in mTBI patients without conventional imaging abnormalities.
- To assess the association between these white matter regions and cognitive function.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor images were acquired from 51 mTBI patients and analyzed for fractional anisotropy (FA) maps.
- Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R FIQ).
- Regression analysis explored correlations between white matter FA values and cognitive scores.
Main Results:
- mTBI patients exhibited significantly reduced FA values in the superior longitudinal fasciculus, superior frontal gyrus, insula, and fornix compared to controls.
- Cognitive scores positively correlated with FA values in deep brain structures near areas of reduced white matter integrity.
Conclusions:
- Chronic mTBI is associated with reduced white matter integrity in specific brain regions.
- These white matter abnormalities are strongly implicated in persistent cognitive impairments following mTBI.
- Further research is needed to clarify the clinical and pathological correlations.
