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Huang S, Li M, Huang C, Liu J. Acute limbic system connectivity predicts chronic cognitive function in mild traumatic brain injury: An individualized differential structural covariance network study. Pharmacol Res 2024; 206:107274. [PMID: 38906205 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a known risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, yet the precise pathophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understand, often obscured by group-level analysis in non-invasive neuroimaging studies. Individual-based method is critical to exploring heterogeneity in mTBI. We recruited 80 mTBI patients and 40 matched healthy controls, obtaining high-resolution structural MRI for constructing Individual Differential Structural Covariance Networks (IDSCN). Comparisons were conducted at both the individual and group levels. Connectome-based Predictive Modeling (CPM) was applied to predict cognitive performance based on whole-brain connectivity. During the acute stage of mTBI, patients exhibited significant heterogeneity in the count and direction of altered edges, obscured by group-level analysis. In the chronic stage, the number of altered edges decreased and became more consistent, aligning with clinical observations of acute cognitive impairment and gradual improvement. Subgroup analysis based on loss of consciousness/post-traumatic amnesia revealed distinct patterns of alterations. The temporal lobe, particularly regions related to the limbic system, significantly predicted cognitive function from acute to chronic stage. The use of IDSCN and CPM has provided valuable individual-level insights, reconciling discrepancies from previous studies. Additionally, the limbic system may be an appropriate target for future intervention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihong Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Mengjun Li
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Chuxin Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Department of Radiology Quality Control Center, Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging in Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.
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Xu H, Xu C, Guo Y, Hu Y, Fang Q, Yang D, Niu X, Bai G. Abnormal longitudinal changes of structural covariance networks of cortical thickness in mild traumatic brain injury with posttraumatic headache. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 133:111012. [PMID: 38641235 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is widely acknowledged that mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) leads to either functionally or anatomically abnormal brain regions. Structural covariance networks (SCNs) that depict coordinated regional maturation patterns are commonly employed for investigating brain structural abnormalities. However, the dynamic nature of SCNs in individuals with MTBI who suffer from posttraumatic headache (PTH) and their potential as biomarkers have hitherto not been investigated. METHODS This study included 36 MTBI patients with PTH and 34 well-matched healthy controls (HCs). All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans and were assessed with clinical measures during the acute and subacute phases. Structural covariance matrices of cortical thickness were generated for each group, and global as well as nodal network measures of SCNs were computed. RESULTS MTBI patients with PTH demonstrated reduced headache impact and improved cognitive function from the acute to subacute phase. In terms of global network metrics, MTBI patients exhibited an abnormal normalized clustering coefficient compared to HCs during the acute phase, although no significant difference in the normalized clustering coefficient was observed between the groups during the subacute phase. Regarding nodal network metrics, MTBI patients displayed alterations in various brain regions from the acute to subacute phase, primarily concentrated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that the cortical thickness topography in the PFC determines the typical structural-covariance topology of the brain and may serve as an important biomarker for MTBI patients with PTH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Xu
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China; The Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorder, Wenzhou 325007, China.
| | - Cheng Xu
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yunyu Guo
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yike Hu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiaofang Fang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dandan Yang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xuan Niu
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Guanghui Bai
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China; Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Structural and Functional Imaging, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China.
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Huang S, Han J, Zheng H, Li M, Huang C, Kui X, Liu J. Structural and functional connectivity of the whole brain and subnetworks in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury: predictors of patient prognosis. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1553-1558. [PMID: 38051899 PMCID: PMC10883483 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.387971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202407000-00035/figure1/v/2023-11-20T171125Z/r/image-tiff
Patients with mild traumatic brain injury have a diverse clinical presentation, and the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive technique that has been widely utilized to investigate neurobiological markers after mild traumatic brain injury. This approach has emerged as a promising tool for investigating the pathogenesis of mild traumatic brain injury. Graph theory is a quantitative method of analyzing complex networks that has been widely used to study changes in brain structure and function. However, most previous mild traumatic brain injury studies using graph theory have focused on specific populations, with limited exploration of simultaneous abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity. Given that mild traumatic brain injury is the most common type of traumatic brain injury encountered in clinical practice, further investigation of the patient characteristics and evolution of structural and functional connectivity is critical. In the present study, we explored whether abnormal structural and functional connectivity in the acute phase could serve as indicators of longitudinal changes in imaging data and cognitive function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury. In this longitudinal study, we enrolled 46 patients with mild traumatic brain injury who were assessed within 2 weeks of injury, as well as 36 healthy controls. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging data were acquired for graph theoretical network analysis. In the acute phase, patients with mild traumatic brain injury demonstrated reduced structural connectivity in the dorsal attention network. More than 3 months of follow-up data revealed signs of recovery in structural and functional connectivity, as well as cognitive function, in 22 out of the 46 patients. Furthermore, better cognitive function was associated with more efficient networks. Finally, our data indicated that small-worldness in the acute stage could serve as a predictor of longitudinal changes in connectivity in patients with mild traumatic brain injury. These findings highlight the importance of integrating structural and functional connectivity in understanding the occurrence and evolution of mild traumatic brain injury. Additionally, exploratory analysis based on subnetworks could serve a predictive function in the prognosis of patients with mild traumatic brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihong Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Jungong Han
- Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, UK
| | - Hairong Zheng
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Mengjun Li
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Chuxin Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xiaoyan Kui
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
- Department of Radiology, Quality Control Center of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
- Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
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da Silva Fiorin F, do Espírito Santo CC, Da Silva JT, Chung MK. Inflammation, brain connectivity, and neuromodulation in post-traumatic headache. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 35:100723. [PMID: 38292321 PMCID: PMC10827408 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is a debilitating condition that affects individuals with different levels of traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity. The difficulties in developing an effective treatment are related to a lack of understanding the complicated mechanisms and neurobiological changes in brain function after a brain injury. Preclinical studies have indicated that peripheral and central sensitization of the trigeminal nociceptive pathways contributes to PTH. While recent brain imaging studies have uncovered widespread changes in brain functional connectivity following trauma, understanding exactly how these networks contribute to PTH after injury remains unknown. Stimulation of peripheral (trigeminal or vagus) nerves show promising efficacies in PTH experimental animals, likely mediated by influencing TBI-induced pathological plasticity by decreasing neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis. Non-invasive brain stimulations, such as transcranial magnetic or direct current stimulations, show analgesia for multiple chronic pain conditions, including PTH. Better mechanistic understanding of analgesia achieved by neuromodulations can define peripheral and central mechanisms involved in the development, the resolution, and the management of PTH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando da Silva Fiorin
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland Baltimore, Program in Neuroscience, Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caroline Cunha do Espírito Santo
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Brazil
| | - Joyce T. Da Silva
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland Baltimore, Program in Neuroscience, Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Man-Kyo Chung
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland Baltimore, Program in Neuroscience, Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Imms P, Chowdhury NF, Chaudhari NN, Amgalan A, Poudel G, Caeyenberghs K, Irimia A. Prediction of cognitive outcome after mild traumatic brain injury from acute measures of communication within brain networks. Cortex 2024; 171:397-412. [PMID: 38103453 PMCID: PMC10922490 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
A considerable but ill-defined proportion of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) experience persistent cognitive sequelae; the ability to identify such individuals early can help their neurorehabilitation. Here we tested the hypothesis that acute measures of efficient communication within brain networks are associated with patients' risk for unfavorable cognitive outcome six months after mTBI. Diffusion and T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, alongside cognitive measures, were obtained to map connectomes both one week and six months post injury in 113 adult patients with mTBI (71 males). For task-related brain networks, communication measures (characteristic path length, global efficiency, navigation efficiency) were moderately correlated with changes in cognition. Taking into account the covariance of age and sex, more unfavorable communication within networks were associated with worse outcomes within cognitive domains frequently impacted by mTBI (episodic and working memory, verbal fluency, inductive reasoning, and processing speed). Individuals with more unfavorable outcomes had significantly longer and less efficient pathways within networks supporting verbal fluency (all t > 2.786, p < .006), highlighting the vulnerability of language to mTBI. Participants in whom a task-related network was relatively inefficient one week post injury were up to eight times more likely to have unfavorable cognitive outcome pertaining to that task. Our findings suggest that communication measures within task-related networks identify mTBI patients who are unlikely to develop persistent cognitive deficits after mTBI. Our approach and findings can help to stratify mTBI patients according to their expected need for follow-up and/or neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Imms
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA.
| | - Nahian F Chowdhury
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA.
| | - Nikhil N Chaudhari
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA; Corwin D. Denney Research Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA.
| | - Anar Amgalan
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA.
| | - Govinda Poudel
- Mary Mackillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Karen Caeyenberghs
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
| | - Andrei Irimia
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA; Corwin D. Denney Research Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA; Department of Quantitative & Computational Biology, Dana and David Dornsife College of Arts & Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA.
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Hossain I, Mohammadian M, Maanpää HR, Takala RSK, Tenovuo O, van Gils M, Hutchinson P, Menon DK, Newcombe VF, Tallus J, Hirvonen J, Roine T, Kurki T, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Posti JP. Plasma neurofilament light admission levels and development of axonal pathology in mild traumatic brain injury. BMC Neurol 2023; 23:304. [PMID: 37582732 PMCID: PMC10426141 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-023-03284-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is known that blood levels of neurofilament light (NF-L) and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) are both associated with outcome of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Here, we sought to examine the association between admission levels of plasma NF-L and white matter (WM) integrity in post-acute stage DW-MRI in patients with mTBI. METHODS Ninety-three patients with mTBI (GCS ≥ 13), blood sample for NF-L within 24 h of admission, and DW-MRI ≥ 90 days post-injury (median = 229) were included. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were calculated from the skeletonized WM tracts of the whole brain. Outcome was assessed using the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) at the time of imaging. Patients were divided into CT-positive and -negative, and complete (GOSE = 8) and incomplete recovery (GOSE < 8) groups. RESULTS The levels of NF-L and FA correlated negatively in the whole cohort (p = 0.002), in CT-positive patients (p = 0.016), and in those with incomplete recovery (p = 0.005). The same groups showed a positive correlation with mean MD, AD, and RD (p < 0.001-p = 0.011). In CT-negative patients or in patients with full recovery, significant correlations were not found. CONCLUSION In patients with mTBI, the significant correlation between NF-L levels at admission and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) over more than 3 months suggests that the early levels of plasma NF-L may associate with the presence of DAI at a later phase of TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iftakher Hossain
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
- Turku Brain Injury Center, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Neurosurgery Unit, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Mehrbod Mohammadian
- Turku Brain Injury Center, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Henna-Riikka Maanpää
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Turku Brain Injury Center, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Riikka S K Takala
- Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Management, Perioperative Services, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Olli Tenovuo
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Mark van Gils
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Peter Hutchinson
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Neurosurgery Unit, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - David K Menon
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Virginia F Newcombe
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jussi Tallus
- Turku Brain Injury Center, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Jussi Hirvonen
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Timo Roine
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, Turku, Finland
| | - Timo Kurki
- Turku Brain Injury Center, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jussi P Posti
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Turku Brain Injury Center, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Parsons N, Irimia A, Amgalan A, Ugon J, Morgan K, Shelyag S, Hocking A, Poudel G, Caeyenberghs K. Structural-functional connectivity bandwidth predicts processing speed in mild traumatic brain Injury: A multiplex network analysis. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103428. [PMID: 37167841 PMCID: PMC10196722 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
An emerging body of work has revealed alterations in structural (SC) and functional (FC) brain connectivity following mild TBI (mTBI), with mixed findings. However, these studies seldom integrate complimentary neuroimaging modalities within a unified framework. Multilayer network analysis is an emerging technique to uncover how white matter organization enables functional communication. Using our novel graph metric (SC-FC Bandwidth), we quantified the information capacity of synchronous brain regions in 53 mild TBI patients (46 females; age mean = 40.2 years (y), σ = 16.7 (y), range: 18-79 (y). Diffusion MRI and resting state fMRI were administered at the acute and chronic post-injury intervals. Moreover, participants completed a cognitive task to measure processing speed (30 Seconds and Counting Task; 30-SACT). Processing speed was significantly increased at the chronic, relative to the acute post-injury intervals (p = <0.001). Nonlinear principal components of direct (t = -1.84, p = 0.06) and indirect SC-FC Bandwidth (t = 3.86, p = <0.001) predicted processing speed with a moderate effect size (R2 = 0.43, p < 0.001), while controlling for age. A subnetwork of interhemispheric edges with increased SC-FC Bandwidth was identified at the chronic, relative to the acute mTBI post-injury interval (pFDR = 0.05). Increased interhemispheric SC-FC Bandwidth of this network corresponded with improved processing speed at the chronic post-injury interval (partial r = 0.32, p = 0.02). Our findings revealed that mild TBI results in complex reorganization of brain connectivity optimized for maximum information flow, supporting improved cognitive performance as a compensatory mechanism. Moving forward, this measurement may complement clinical assessment as an objective marker of mTBI recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Parsons
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; BrainCast Neurotechnologies, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Australia.
| | - Andrei Irimia
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anar Amgalan
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julien Ugon
- School of Information Technology, Faculty of Science Engineering Built Environment, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kerri Morgan
- School of Information Technology, Faculty of Science Engineering Built Environment, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sergiy Shelyag
- School of Information Technology, Faculty of Science Engineering Built Environment, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alex Hocking
- School of Information Technology, Faculty of Science Engineering Built Environment, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Govinda Poudel
- BrainCast Neurotechnologies, Australia; Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Karen Caeyenberghs
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Imms P, Clemente A, Deutscher E, Radwan AM, Akhlaghi H, Beech P, Wilson PH, Irimia A, Poudel G, Domínguez Duque JF, Caeyenberghs K. Exploring personalized structural connectomics for moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Netw Neurosci 2023; 7:160-183. [PMID: 37334004 PMCID: PMC10270710 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Graph theoretical analysis of the structural connectome has been employed successfully to characterize brain network alterations in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, heterogeneity in neuropathology is a well-known issue in the TBI population, such that group comparisons of patients against controls are confounded by within-group variability. Recently, novel single-subject profiling approaches have been developed to capture inter-patient heterogeneity. We present a personalized connectomics approach that examines structural brain alterations in five chronic patients with moderate to severe TBI who underwent anatomical and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. We generated individualized profiles of lesion characteristics and network measures (including personalized graph metric GraphMe plots, and nodal and edge-based brain network alterations) and compared them against healthy reference cases (N = 12) to assess brain damage qualitatively and quantitatively at the individual level. Our findings revealed alterations of brain networks with high variability between patients. With validation and comparison to stratified, normative healthy control comparison cohorts, this approach could be used by clinicians to formulate a neuroscience-guided integrative rehabilitation program for TBI patients, and for designing personalized rehabilitation protocols based on their unique lesion load and connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Imms
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adam Clemente
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural, Health, and Human Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
| | - Evelyn Deutscher
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ahmed M. Radwan
- KU Leuven, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational MRI, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hamed Akhlaghi
- Emergency Department, St. Vincent’s Hospital (Melbourne), Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Beech
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter H. Wilson
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural, Health, and Human Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrei Irimia
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Corwin D. Denney Research Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Dana and David Dornsife College of Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Govinda Poudel
- Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Juan F. Domínguez Duque
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karen Caeyenberghs
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
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