Brain functional connectivity in children with a mild traumatic brain injury: A scoping review
F Duquette-Laplante1,2,3, M Macaskill4, B Jutras2,3
1Audiology and Speech Pathology Program, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Insights
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can affect children
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affects 0.2-0.3% of children annually.
- Persistent symptoms post-mTBI in children may involve functional connectivity (FC) changes.
- Limited understanding exists regarding FC alterations in pediatric mTBI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of mTBI on electroencephalogram (EEG)-measured FC in children.
- To summarize existing literature, analysis techniques, and research gaps.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, ProQuest, CINAHL) up to June 25, 2023.
- Keywords included 'child', 'mTBI', 'EEG', 'FC', and their synonyms.
- Ten studies met the inclusion criteria for the review.
Main Results:
- Five studies found significant FC differences between children with mTBI and control groups.
- Six studies reported significant temporal variations in FC.
- Brain Network Analysis (BNA) was the predominant FC analysis method (7 studies), with two studies using it to identify significant mTBI-related differences.
Conclusions:
- EEG-based FC assessment can detect differences in children following mTBI.
- BNA shows utility in tracking longitudinal FC changes.
- Further research is needed due to the limited age range and small number of studies reviewed.
Introduction:
The occurrence of mild traumatic brain injury(mTBI) is estimated at 0,2-0,3% cases annually. Following a mTBI, some children experience persistent symptoms, and functional connectivity(FC) changes may be implicated. However, characteristics of FC have not been widely described in this population. This scoping review aimed to identify and understand the impacts of mTBI on EEG-measured FC in children, provide an overview of the available literature, detail analysis techniques, and describe gaps in the research.
Methods:
PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, ProQuest and CINAHL were searched up to June 25, 2023, with the terms child, mTBI, EEG, FC, and their synonyms. Ten studies were identified.
Results:
Five studies reported significant differences between the mTBI group and controls. In addition to group differences, six studies reported significant variation over time. Brain Network Analysis(BNA), utilized in seven studies, was the primary FC analysis recorded. Two of the five studies that reported significant differences following mTBI utilized the BNA. The other three applied alternative analysis methods.
Discussion:
FC assessment based on EEG can identify some differences in children with mTBI. BNA was more useful in following changes over time. Further research is suggested, considering the limited age range and number of retrieved studies.
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