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Linked MRI signatures of the brain's acute and persistent response to concussion in female varsity rugby players
NeuroImage: Clinical
  • Kathryn Y. Manning, The University of Western Ontario
  • Alberto Llera, Radboud University Nijmegen
  • Gregory A. Dekaban, Robarts Research Institute
  • Robert Bartha, The University of Western Ontario
  • Christy Barreira, Robarts Research Institute
  • Arthur Brown, Robarts Research Institute
  • Lisa Fischer, Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic
  • Tatiana Jevremovic, Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic
  • Kevin Blackney, Robarts Research Institute
  • Timothy J. Doherty, The University of Western Ontario
  • Douglas D. Fraser, London Health Sciences Centre
  • Jeff Holmes, The University of Western Ontario
  • Christian F. Beckmann, Radboud University Nijmegen
  • Ravi S. Menon, The University of Western Ontario
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2019
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.1016/j.nicl.2018.101627
Disciplines
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.

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

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
Citation Information
Kathryn Y. Manning, Alberto Llera, Gregory A. Dekaban, Robert Bartha, et al.. "Linked MRI signatures of the brain's acute and persistent response to concussion in female varsity rugby players" NeuroImage: Clinical Vol. 21 (2019)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/arthur-brown/6/