Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
2007-8-6
pubmed:abstractText
Traumatic axonal injury (TAI) contributes significantly to mortality and morbidity following traumatic brain injury (TBI), but is poorly characterized by conventional imaging techniques. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may provide better detection as well as insights into the mechanisms of white matter injury. DTI data from 33 patients with moderate-to-severe TBI, acquired at a median of 32 h postinjury, were compared with data from 28 age-matched controls. The global burden of whole brain white matter injury (GB(WMI)) was quantified by measuring the proportion of voxels that lay below a critical fractional anisotropy (FA) threshold, identified from control data. Mechanisms of change in FA maps were explored using an Eigenvalue analysis of the diffusion tensor. When compared with controls, patients showed significantly reduced mean FA (p < 0.001) and increased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC; p = 0.017). GB(WMI) was significantly greater in patients than in controls (p < 0.01), but did not distinguish patients with obvious white matter lesions seen on structural imaging. It predicted classification of DTI images as head injury with a high degree of accuracy. Eigenvalue analysis showed that reductions in FA were predominantly the result of increases in radial diffusivity (p < 0.001). DTI may help quantify the overall burden of white matter injury in TBI and provide insights into underlying pathophysiology. Eigenvalue analysis suggests that the early imaging changes seen in white matter are consistent with axonal swelling rather than axonal truncation. This technique holds promise for examining disease progression, and may help define therapeutic windows for the treatment of diffuse brain injury.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Aug
pubmed:issn
0268-8697
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
21
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
340-8
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2007
pubmed:articleTitle
Analysis of acute traumatic axonal injury using diffusion tensor imaging.
pubmed:affiliation
University Division of Anaesthesia, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't