Regionally Specific Resting-State Beta Neural Power Predicts Brain Injury and Symptom Recovery in Adolescents with...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Neurology
• Brain Injury Research

Background:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is prevalent in adolescents, impacting brain function.
• Previous magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies, mainly in adult males, indicate abnormal resting-state (RS) brain activity post-mTBI.
• Adolescent mTBI research requires investigation into sex differences and clinical utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify RS neural activity abnormalities in male and female adolescents with mTBI.
• To evaluate the potential clinical utility of RS brain activity measures in adolescent mTBI.
• To explore the relationship between symptom changes and RS activity during recovery.

Main Methods:

• Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to record resting-state (RS) neural activity in adolescents with mTBI and typically developing (TD) controls.
• Source-space RS neural activity was analyzed across a frequency range of 4–56 Hz, with a focus on the beta band (16–30 Hz).
• Linear mixed-model analyses examined group differences in beta-band activity over two visits, assessing changes from the acute to subchronic periods.

Main Results:

• Adolescents with mTBI exhibited significantly lower beta-band power compared to TD controls in specific brain regions, including the midline superior frontal gyrus, right temporal pole, and right central sulcus.
• These group differences in beta-band activity were consistent across both acute/subacute and subchronic periods post-mTBI.
• In the mTBI group, a reduction in symptoms from Visit 1 to Visit 2 correlated with an increase in beta power in four distinct brain regions.

Conclusions:

• Resting-state beta power is significantly altered in adolescents following mild traumatic brain injury.
• Reduced beta power in specific brain regions may serve as a potential biomarker for mTBI in adolescents.
• Changes in resting-state beta power show promise as a measure and potential mechanism for tracking clinical recovery in adolescent mTBI patients.