Frontiers in Neurology (Oct 2022)

Disruption of white matter integrity and its relationship with cognitive function in non-severe traumatic brain injury

  • Aimi Nadhiah Abdullah,
  • Asma Hayati Ahmad,
  • Asma Hayati Ahmad,
  • Rahimah Zakaria,
  • Sofina Tamam,
  • Aini Ismafairus Abd Hamid,
  • Aini Ismafairus Abd Hamid,
  • Aini Ismafairus Abd Hamid,
  • Wen Jia Chai,
  • Wen Jia Chai,
  • Hazim Omar,
  • Hazim Omar,
  • Hazim Omar,
  • Muhammad Riddha Abdul Rahman,
  • Muhammad Riddha Abdul Rahman,
  • Diana Noma Fitzrol,
  • Diana Noma Fitzrol,
  • Zamzuri Idris,
  • Zamzuri Idris,
  • Zamzuri Idris,
  • Abdul Rahman Izaini Ghani,
  • Abdul Rahman Izaini Ghani,
  • Abdul Rahman Izaini Ghani,
  • Wan Nor Azlen Wan Mohamad,
  • Wan Nor Azlen Wan Mohamad,
  • Wan Nor Azlen Wan Mohamad,
  • Faiz Mustafar,
  • Faiz Mustafar,
  • Faiz Mustafar,
  • Muhammad Hafiz Hanafi,
  • Muhammad Hafiz Hanafi,
  • Muhammad Hafiz Hanafi,
  • Mohamed Faruque Reza,
  • Mohamed Faruque Reza,
  • Mohamed Faruque Reza,
  • Hafidah Umar,
  • Hafidah Umar,
  • Hafidah Umar,
  • Mohd Faizal Mohd Zulkifly,
  • Mohd Faizal Mohd Zulkifly,
  • Mohd Faizal Mohd Zulkifly,
  • Song Yee Ang,
  • Song Yee Ang,
  • Song Yee Ang,
  • Zaitun Zakaria,
  • Zaitun Zakaria,
  • Zaitun Zakaria,
  • Kamarul Imran Musa,
  • Azizah Othman,
  • Zunaina Embong,
  • Nur Asma Sapiai,
  • Regunath Kandasamy,
  • Haidi Ibrahim,
  • Haidi Ibrahim,
  • Mohd Zaid Abdullah,
  • Mohd Zaid Abdullah,
  • Kannapha Amaruchkul,
  • Pedro Antonio Valdes-Sosa,
  • Pedro Antonio Valdes-Sosa,
  • Maria Luisa Bringas Vega,
  • Maria Luisa Bringas Vega,
  • Bharat Biswal,
  • Jitkomut Songsiri,
  • Hamwira Sakti Yaacob,
  • Putra Sumari,
  • Nor Azila Noh,
  • Azlinda Azman,
  • Paramjit Singh Jamir Singh,
  • Jafri Malin Abdullah,
  • Jafri Malin Abdullah,
  • Jafri Malin Abdullah

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.1011304
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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BackgroundImpairment in cognitive function is a recognized outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the degree of impairment has variable relationship with TBI severity and time post injury. The underlying pathology is often due to diffuse axonal injury that has been found even in mild TBI. In this study, we examine the state of white matter putative connectivity in patients with non-severe TBI in the subacute phase, i.e., within 10 weeks of injury and determine its relationship with neuropsychological scores.MethodsWe conducted a case-control prospective study involving 11 male adult patients with non-severe TBI and an age-matched control group of 11 adult male volunteers. Diffusion MRI scanning and neuropsychological tests were administered within 10 weeks post injury. The difference in fractional anisotropy (FA) values between the patient and control groups was examined using tract-based spatial statistics. The FA values that were significantly different between patients and controls were then correlated with neuropsychological tests in the patient group.ResultsSeveral clusters with peak voxels of significant FA reductions (p < 0.05) in the white matter skeleton were seen in patients compared to the control group. These clusters were located in the superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, and cingulum, as well as white matter fibers in the area of genu of corpus callosum, anterior corona radiata, superior corona radiata, anterior thalamic radiation and part of inferior frontal gyrus. Mean global FA magnitude correlated significantly with MAVLT immediate recall scores while matrix reasoning scores correlated positively with FA values in the area of right superior fronto-occipital fasciculus and left anterior corona radiata.ConclusionThe non-severe TBI patients had abnormally reduced FA values in multiple regions compared to controls that correlated with several measures of executive function during the sub-acute phase of TBI.

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