Postconcussion Brain Resembles Early Alzheimer's


This is the Medscape Neurology Minute. I am Dr. Alan Jacobs. Researchers from the Division of Neuroradiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have published a study looking at the relationship between white matter and injury patterns and severity of postconcussion symptoms in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) with normal findings on conventional MRI exams. The researchers studied data from imaging exams performed on 64 patients with MTBI and 15 control patients using diffusion tensor imaging to measure fractional anisotropy. Of the patients with MTBI, 42 were men, and their mean age was 17 years. Sports injury was the reason for concussion in two thirds of the patients. All patients underwent neurocognitive evaluation with ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing). The researchers analyzed correlations between fractional anisotropy values, the ImPACT total symptom score, and findings of sleep-wake disturbance. The results showed a significant correlation between high ImPACT total symptom score and reduced fractional anisotropy at the gray-white junction, most prominent in the auditory cortex. Significantly reduced fractional anisotropy scores were found in patients with sleep-wake disturbances in the parahippocampal gyri relative to patients without sleep-wake disturbances. The researchers concluded that the initial traumatic event that caused the concussion acts as a trigger for a sequence of degenerative changes in the brain that result in patient symptoms that could be treatable or preventable. This has been the Medscape Neurology Minute. I'm Dr. Alan Jacobs.