Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2019
Journal
NeuroImage: Clinical
Volume
21
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.1016/j.nicl.2018.101627
Abstract
Acute brain changes are expected after concussion, yet there is growing evidence of persistent abnormalities well beyond clinical recovery and clearance to return to play. Multiparametric MRI is a powerful approach to non-invasively study structure-function relationships in the brain, however it remains challenging to interpret the complex and heterogeneous cascade of brain changes that manifest after concussion. Emerging conjunctive, data-driven analysis approaches like linked independent component analysis can integrate structural and functional imaging data to produce linked components that describe the shared inter-subject variance across images. These linked components not only offer the potential of a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying neurobiology of concussion, but can also provide reliable information at the level of an individual athlete. In this study, we analyzed resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) within a cohort of female varsity rugby players (n = 52) through the in- and off-season, including concussed athletes (n = 21) who were studied longitudinally at three days, three months and six months after a diagnosed concussion. Linked components representing co-varying white matter microstructure and functional network connectivity characterized (a) the brain's acute response to concussion and (b) persistent alterations beyond clinical recovery. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these long-term brain changes related to specific aspects of a concussion history and allowed us to monitor individual athletes before and longitudinally after a diagnosed concussion.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Notes
© 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/)
Manning, K. Y., Llera, A., Dekaban, G. A., Bartha, R., Barreira, C., Brown, A., Fischer, L., Jevremovic, T., Blackney, K., Doherty, T. J., Fraser, D. D., Holmes, J., Beckmann, C. F., & Menon, R. S. (2018). Linked MRI signatures of the brain's acute and persistent response to concussion in female varsity rugby players. NeuroImage: Clinical, 21, 101627. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2018.101627