Cortical Thickness in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Background:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a significant public health concern.
• Understanding the long-term structural changes following mTBI is crucial for effective management.
• Previous studies suggest potential alterations in brain structure post-mTBI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate longitudinal changes in cortical thickness in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
• To compare cortical thickness between mTBI patients and a control group.
• To explore the effect of atorvastatin treatment on cortical thickness in mTBI.

Main Methods:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to acquire T1-weighted images at baseline and 3-month follow-up.
• FreeSurfer software was employed for automated cortical thickness measurements.
• Statistical analyses included cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons between mTBI and control groups, and within mTBI subgroups (treatment vs. non-treatment).

Main Results:

• At baseline, mTBI patients exhibited reduced cortical thickness in the left middle temporal and right superior parietal regions compared to controls.
• At follow-up, persistent cortical thinning was observed in the left middle temporal cortex of the mTBI group.
• Significant cortical thinning was predominantly noted in the non-treatment mTBI group, with subtle changes in other lobes.

Conclusions:

• Cortical thickness is a sensitive biomarker for detecting structural changes in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
• Longitudinal assessment reveals persistent cortical thinning, particularly in untreated mTBI patients.
• These findings underscore the importance of monitoring structural brain changes in mTBI recovery.