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Reduced Brainstem Volume After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Eunkyung Kim1, Han Gil Seo, Hyun Haeng Lee
1From the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (EK, HGS, HHL, SHL, SJY, M-GK, B-MO), Biomedical Research Institute (EK), Department of Radiology (SHC, R-EY), and Department of Neurosurgery (W-SC), Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine and Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea (HHL); Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea (SHL); Department of Radiology (SHC, R-EY), Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (B-MO), and Neuroscience Research Institute (B-MO), Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Institute on Aging, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea (B-MO); and National Traffic Injury Rehabilitation Hospital, Yangpyeong, Korea (B-MO).
Mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) can cause brainstem volume reduction. Greater regional brain volume after injury is linked to better cognitive function, highlighting brain structure
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), commonly known as concussion, is a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the long-term structural changes in the brain following mild TBI is crucial for effective patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate regional brain volume alterations after mild TBI.
- To explore the correlation between these volumetric changes and subsequent cognitive deficits.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for volumetric analysis.
- Employed tensor-based morphometry to detect regional differences in brain structures (CSF, gray matter, white matter).
- Conducted regression analyses to associate volumetric changes with cognitive test performance and time post-injury.
Main Results:
- Patients with mild TBI showed significant volume reduction in the brainstem, specifically the pontine reticular formation.
- Regional cerebral volume changes were not correlated with time since injury.
- A positive association was found between greater regional cerebral volume and better performance on specific neurocognitive tests, including executive function and verbal learning.
Conclusions:
- Brainstem volume reduction post-mild TBI suggests this area is vulnerable to injury.
- Cerebral volume in specific regions demonstrates a positive relationship with cognitive function recovery after mild TBI.
