Electrophysiological biomarkers of concussion in adolescents measured using magnetoencephalography

Adolescence is a critical period of neurodevelopment and concussion, also known as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), during this stage of life can have long lasting consequences. Concussion in paediatric populations presents with heterogenous symptoms and this study aimed to use magnetoencephalography (MEG)-a powerful imaging tool-to characterize alterations in brain electrophysiology in adolescents with concussion history.

We analyzed resting state MEG data from a cross-sectional sample of adolescents with a history of concussion (n = 27) against neurotypical controls (n = 28).

Adolescents with concussion history showed localised changes with increased delta power, and decreased alpha and gamma activity, a reduced exponent and offset, and reductions in neural complexity. For functional connectivity, reductions in alpha synchrony were most pronounced, with minor increases in theta and gamma synchrony.

These findings provide a multiscale and comprehensive understanding of the altered neurophysiological signatures of concussion in adolescents.

This study confirms prior observations in independent MEG samples of increased delta activity in paediatric and adult concussion, and establishes a new battery of MEG markers including altered background activity, complexity and synchrony in paediatric concussion.