title: Correlation of diffusion tensor imaging with executive function measures after early childhood traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examine relationships of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) fractional anisotropy (FA) to executive function (EF) and attention measures following early childhood (3-7 years) traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory correlation and comparison study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children's hospital outpatient facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  9 children with a history of TBI (age = 7.89 ± 1.00 years; Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) = 10.11 ± 4.68) were compared to 12 children with OI (age = 7.51 ± 0.95). All children were at least 12 months post injury at time of evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  FA in various regions of interest (ROI), EF and attention measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FA values primarily in the frontal white matter tracks correlated with EF measures. Separate tasks of inhibition and switching correlated significantly with FA in bilateral frontal lobes. Tasks combining both inhibition and switching correlated significantly with FA values in the left frontal lobe. Tasks of attention negatively correlated with FA values in the right frontal white matter and the superior longitudinal fasciculus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Associations between late measurement of FA and EF measures following early childhood TBI suggest that persistent white matter changes, especially in the frontal white matter, may provide an index of EF deficits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,USA.
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kurowski
authors.forename: Shari L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.forename: Kim M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cecil
authors.forename: Nicolay C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Walz
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Akila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajagopal
authors.forename: Scott K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Holland