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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
09:49

Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: January 20, 2023

Primary brain trauma in non-accidental injury

I M Calder, I Hill, C L Scholtz

    Journal of Clinical Pathology
    |October 1, 1984
    PubMed

    Insights

    This study examined infant brains after head trauma, revealing white matter damage like contusional tears. This neuropathological injury likely contributes to long-term neurological deficits in infants experiencing non-accidental head injury.

    Area of Science:

    • Neuropathology
    • Pediatric Traumatology
    • Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Non-accidental head injury in infants can lead to severe, long-term neurological and intellectual deficits.
    • The specific neuropathological mechanisms underlying these deficits are not fully understood.
    • Identifying the extent to which social versus neuropathological factors contribute is challenging.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To neuropathologically examine brains of infants who died from repeated non-accidental head injury.
    • To identify and characterize specific white matter lesions associated with infant head trauma.
    • To highlight the role of these lesions in the pathogenesis of long-term deficits.

    Main Methods:

    • Detailed neuropathological examination of 12 infant brains (up to 2.5 years old) with a history of non-accidental head injury.
    • Histological analysis to identify lesions, hemorrhage, and cellular responses (e.g., astrocytes, gliosis).
    • Comparison of lesion types with those seen in adult closed head injuries.

    Main Results:

    • Infants under 5 months showed contusional tears: slit-like white matter lesions with hemorrhage and astrogliosis.
    • Older infants (>5 months) exhibited white matter lesions similar to adult closed head injuries, including brainstem damage potentially from shaking/whiplash.
    • All brains displayed diffuse gliosis, indicating a chronic inflammatory response.

    Conclusions:

    • Contusional tears and other white matter lesions are significant manifestations of mechanical trauma in infants.
    • This described white matter damage is proposed to play a crucial role in the development of long-term neurological and intellectual impairments.
    • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the contribution of neuropathological factors versus social factors in non-accidental injury outcomes.

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