title: Brain Structure and Function Associated with a History of Sport Concussion: A Multi-Modal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.
abstract: There is growing concern about the potential long-term consequences of sport concussion for young, currently active athletes. However, there remains limited information about brain abnormalities associated with a history of concussion and how they relate to clinical factors. In this study, advanced MRI was used to comprehensively describe abnormalities in brain structure and function associated with a history of sport concussion. Forty-three athletes (21 male, 22 female) were recruited from interuniversity teams at the beginning of the season, including 21 with a history of concussion and 22 without prior concussion; both groups also contained a balanced sample of contact and noncontact sports. Multi-modal MRI was used to evaluate abnormalities in brain structure and function. Athletes with a history of concussion showed frontal decreases in brain volume and blood flow. However, they also demonstrated increased posterior cortical volume and elevated markers of white matter microstructure. A greater number of prior concussions was associated with more extensive decreases in cerebral blood flow and insular volume, whereas recovery time from most recent concussion was correlated with reduced frontotemporal volume. White matter showed limited correlations with clinical factors, predominantly in the anterior corona radiata. This study provides the first evidence of the long-term effects of concussion on gray matter volume, blood flow, and white matter microstructure within a single athlete cohort. This was examined for a mixture of male and female athletes in both contact and noncontact sports, demonstrating the relevance of these findings for the overall sporting community.
authors.affiliation: 1 Keenan Research Centre of St. Michael's Hospital , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Churchill
authors.affiliation: 2 Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.affiliation: 2 Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: 1 Keenan Research Centre of St. Michael's Hospital , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .|3 Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
authors.forename: General
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: 4 Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada .|5 Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: 1 Keenan Research Centre of St. Michael's Hospital , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .|6 Faculty of Medicine (Neurosurgery), University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .|7 Institute of Biomaterals and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
authors.forename: Tom A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Schweizer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: MRI; blood flow; concussion; diffusion tensor imaging; traumatic brain injury