Early nonischemic oxidative metabolic dysfunction leads to chronic brain atrophy in traumatic brain injury.
Chronic brain atrophy after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a well-known phenomenon, the causes of which are unknown. Early nonischemic reduction in oxidative metabolism is regionally associated with chronic brain atrophy after TBI. A total of 32 patients with moderate-to-severe TBI prospectively underwent positron emission tomography (PET) and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within the first week and at 6 months after injury. Regional lobar assessments comprised oxidative metabolism and glucose metabolism. Acute MRI showed a preponderance of hemorrhagic lesions with few irreversible ischemic lesions. Global and regional chronic brain atrophy occurred in all patients by 6 months, with the temporal and frontal lobes exhibiting the most atrophy compared with the occipital lobe. Global and regional reduction in cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO(2)), cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral metabolic rate of glucose were observed. The extent of metabolic dysfunction was correlated with the total hemorrhage burden on initial MRI (r=0.62, P=0.01). The extent of regional brain atrophy correlated best with CMRO(2) and CBF. Lobar values of OEF were not in the ischemic range and did not correlate with chronic brain atrophy. Chronic brain atrophy is regionally specific and associated with regional reductions in oxidative brain metabolism in the absence of irreversible ischemia.
Xu
Yueqiao
Y
Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
McArthur
David L
DL
Alger
Jeffry R
JR
Etchepare
Maria
M
Hovda
David A
DA
Glenn
Thomas C
TC
Huang
Sungcheng
S
Dinov
Ivo
I
Vespa
Paul M
PM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001284:Atrophy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
D005947:Glucose; D010100:Oxygen