• Patricia M Arenth, Kathryn C Russell, Joelle M Scanlon, Lauren J Kessler, and Joseph H Ricker.
• School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Drs Arenth, Russell, Scanlon, and Ricker and Ms Kessler); Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (Drs Arenth, Russell, and Ricker); School of Medicine, Safar Center for Resuscitation Research (Dr Russell), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2014 Mar 1;29(2):E1-E10.

Objectives(1) Detailed analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters (fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity) to evaluate white matter integrity in the corpus callosum (CC), and (2) examine correlations between DTI data and performance on multiple measures of cognitive functioning.ParticipantsTwelve individuals with a history of complicated mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who were an average of 1.7 years postinjury and 12 control participants.Main MeasuresStandardized and experimental neuropsychological tests; detailed analysis of DTI parameters.ResultsThe TBI group demonstrated DTI values suggesting decreased white matter integrity and correlations with severity of injury. Both groups showed correlations between DTI parameters and cognitive measures, with more significant correlations observed for the TBI group. White matter changes in the CC were evident chronically and were related to severity of injury.ConclusionsDiffusion tensor imaging parameters suggesting disruptions in white matter in the CC may be implicated in impaired performance, both in terms of cognitive tasks and reaction time, after TBI.

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