title: Multiple resting state network functional connectivity abnormalities in mild traumatic brain injury.
abstract: Several reports show that traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in abnormalities in the coordinated activation among brain regions. Because most previous studies examined moderate/severe TBI, the extensiveness of functional connectivity abnormalities and their relationship to postconcussive complaints or white matter microstructural damage are unclear in mild TBI. This study characterized widespread injury effects on multiple integrated neural networks typically observed during a task-unconstrained "resting state" in mild TBI patients. Whole brain functional connectivity for twelve separate networks was identified using independent component analysis (ICA) of fMRI data collected from thirty mild TBI patients mostly free of macroscopic intracerebral injury and thirty demographically-matched healthy control participants. Voxelwise group comparisons found abnormal mild TBI functional connectivity in every brain network identified by ICA, including visual processing, motor, limbic, and numerous circuits believed to underlie executive cognition. Abnormalities not only included functional connectivity deficits, but also enhancements possibly reflecting compensatory neural processes. Postconcussive symptom severity was linked to abnormal regional connectivity within nearly every brain network identified, particularly anterior cingulate. A recently developed multivariate technique that identifies links between whole brain profiles of functional and anatomical connectivity identified several novel mild TBI abnormalities, and represents a potentially important new tool in the study of the complex neurobiological sequelae of TBI.
authors.affiliation: Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, The Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, CT, USA. msteven@harthosp.org
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lovejoy
authors.forename: Jinsuh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oakes
authors.forename: Inam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kureshi
authors.forename: Suzanne T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Witt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012146:Rest; D055815:Young Adult