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Updated: Jul 23, 2026
Advanced Diffusion Imaging in The Hippocampus of Rats with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 14, 2019
Differential and correlational tractography as tract-based biomarkers in mild traumatic brain injury: A longitudinal
Si-Hong Huang1, Meng-Jun Li1, Fang-Cheng Yeh2,3
1Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
Abstract:
We evaluated the fiber bundles in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients using differential and correlational tractography in a longitudinal analysis. Diffusion MRI data were acquired in 34 mTBI patients at 7 days (acute stage) and 3 months or longer (chronic stage) after mTBI. Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) and Digital Symbol Substitution Test changes were used to evaluate the cognitive performance. Longitudinal correlational tractography showed decreased anisotropy in the corpus callosum during the chronic mTBI stage. The changes in anisotropy in the corpus callosum were significantly correlated with the changes in TMT-A (false discovery rate [FDR] = 0.000094). Individual longitudinal differential tractography found that anisotropy decreased in the corpus callosum in 30 mTBI patients. Group cross-sectional differential tractography found that anisotropy increased (FDR = 0.02) in white matter in the acute mTBI patients, while no changes occurred in the chronic mTBI patients. Our study confirms the feasibility of using correlational and differential tractography as tract-based monitoring biomarkers to evaluate the disease progress of mTBI, and indicates that normalized quantitative anisotropy could be used as a biomarker to monitor the injury and/or repairs of white matter in individual mTBI patients.
Insights
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affects white matter, particularly the corpus callosum. Tractography reveals changes correlating with cognitive decline, suggesting potential biomarkers for mTBI monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can lead to long-term neurological deficits.
- Assessing white matter integrity and its correlation with cognitive function in mTBI is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate white matter fiber bundles in mTBI patients using longitudinal tractography.
- To identify potential tract-based biomarkers for monitoring mTBI progression and cognitive changes.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion MRI data from 34 mTBI patients were analyzed longitudinally (acute and chronic stages).
- Correlational and differential tractography techniques were employed.
- Cognitive performance was assessed using the Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) and Digital Symbol Substitution Test.
Main Results:
- Longitudinal correlational tractography showed decreased anisotropy in the corpus callosum during the chronic mTBI stage, correlating with TMT-A changes.
- Individual differential tractography indicated decreased anisotropy in the corpus callosum in most mTBI patients.
- Group cross-sectional analysis revealed increased anisotropy in acute mTBI white matter, with no changes in the chronic stage.
Conclusions:
- Correlational and differential tractography are feasible as tract-based biomarkers for evaluating mTBI progression.
- Normalized quantitative anisotropy shows promise as a biomarker for monitoring white matter injury and repair in individual mTBI patients.
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