Brain imaging and behavior
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Brain Imaging Behav · Feb 2018
Relevance of neuroimaging for neurocognitive and behavioral outcome after pediatric traumatic brain injury.
This study aims to (1) investigate the neuropathology of mild to severe pediatric TBI and (2) elucidate the predictive value of conventional and innovative neuroimaging for functional outcome. Children aged 8-14 years with trauma control (TC) injury (n = 27) were compared to children with mild TBI and risk factors for complicated TBI (mildRF+, n = 20) or moderate/severe TBI (n = 17) at 2.8 years post-injury. Neuroimaging measures included: acute computed tomography (CT), volumetric analysis on post-acute conventional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and post-acute diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics and voxel-wise regression). ⋯ FA had superior predictive value for functional outcome (i.e. intelligence, attention and working memory, encoding in verbal memory and internalizing problems) relative to acute CT-scanning (i.e. internalizing problems) and conventional MRI (no predictive value). We conclude that children with mildRF+ TBI and moderate/severe TBI are at risk of persistent white matter abnormality. Furthermore, DTI has superior predictive value for neurocognitive out-come relative to conventional neuroimaging.
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Brain Imaging Behav · Feb 2018
Attention and processing speed performance in multiple sclerosis is mostly related to thalamic volume.
Cognitive impairment (CI), mainly involving attention and processing speed (A-PS), is a common and disabling symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) is one of the more sensitive and reliable tests to assess A-PS deficits in MS. Structural MRI correlates of A-PS in MS still need to be clarified. ⋯ Thalamus, cerebellum and putamen also showed significant GM atrophy in MS patients compared to HC. Thalamic atrophy is also an independent and additional contributor to A-PS deficits in MS patients. These findings support the role of thalamus as the most relevant GM structure subtending A-PS performance in MS, as measured by SDMT.
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Brain Imaging Behav · Feb 2018
White matter alterations in college football players: a longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study.
The aim of this study was to evaluate longitudinal changes in the diffusion characteristics of brain white matter (WM) in collegiate athletes at three time points: prior to the start of the football season (T1), after one season of football (T2), followed by six months of no-contact rest (T3). Fifteen male collegiate football players and 5 male non-athlete student controls underwent diffusion MR imaging and computerized cognitive testing at all three timepoints. Whole-brain tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were used to compare fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), axial diffusivity (AD), and trace between all timepoints. ⋯ Repetitive head impacts (RHI) sustained during a single football season may result in alterations of the brain's WM in collegiate football players. These changes appear to return to baseline after 6 months of no-contact rest, suggesting remission of WM alterations. Our preliminary results suggest that collegiate football players might benefit from periods without exposure to RHI.
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Brain Imaging Behav · Feb 2018
Comparative StudyModifications in resting state functional anticorrelation between default mode network and dorsal attention network: comparison among young adults, healthy elders and mild cognitive impairment patients.
Resting state brain activity incorporates different components, including the Default Mode Network and the Dorsal Attention Network, also known as task-negative network and task-positive network respectively. These two networks typically show an anticorrelated activity during both spontaneous oscillations and task execution. However modifications of this anticorrelated activity pattern with age and pathology are still unclear. ⋯ Moreover, the anticorrelation between the posterior cingulate cortex node of the Default Mode Network and the right inferior parietal sulcus node of the Dorsal Attention Network was significantly decreased when comparing Mild Cognitive Impairment with normal elders (p < 0.001, False Discovery Rate corrected). The functional connectivity changes in patients were not related to significant differences in grey matter content. Our results suggest that a reduced anticorrelated activity between Default Mode Network and Dorsal Attention Network is part of the normal aging process and that Mild Cognitive Impairment status is associated with more evident inter-networks functional connectivity changes.
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Brain Imaging Behav · Dec 2017
Cortical folding patterns are associated with impulsivity in healthy young adults.
Impulsivity is associated with distinct mental disorders but is also considered as a personality trait exhibited by healthy individuals. Current studies suggest that early stressful life events might cause higher impulsivity in the adulthood. Morphological features, which reflect early brain development, could provide valuable information regarding the origin of impulsive behavior. ⋯ Furthermore, we found gender-specific differences in BIS-11-LGI-correlation in the middle and inferior frontal gyrus. Our findings illustrate the advantages of cortical folding as a marker of early brain development when investigating structural brain correlates of impulsivity in young adulthood. Further, they lend additional support to the notion that alterations in early neurodevelopment comprising fronto-temporo-parietal regions might give rise to higher impulsivity in healthy individuals.