Short-term DTI predictors of cognitive dysfunction in mild traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To explore whether baseline diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics are predictive of cognitive functioning 6 months post-injury in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI).


METHODS
Seventeen patients with MTBI and 29 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were studied.


METHODS
Participants underwent an MRI protocol including DTI, at an average of 4.0 (range: 1-10) days post-injury. Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were measured in the following white matter (WM) regions: centra semiovale, the genu and the splenium of the corpus callosum and the posterior limb of the internal capsule. Participants underwent neuropsychological (NP) testing at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. Least squares regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of MD and FA with each NP test score at baseline and follow-up.


RESULTS
Compared to controls, average MD was significantly higher (p = 0.02) and average FA significantly lower (p = 0.0001) in MTBI patients. At the follow-up, there was a trend toward a significant association between baseline MD and response speed (r = -0.53, p = 0.087) and a positive correlation between baseline FA and Prioritization form B (r = 0.72, p = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
DTI may provide short-term non-invasive predictive markers of cognitive functioning in patients with MTBI.
Miles
Laura
L
Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Grossman
Robert I
RI
Johnson
Glyn
G
Babb
James S
JS
Diller
Leonard
L
Inglese
Matilde
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests