Christopher James Andrew Cowie1,2, Benjamin
S. Aribisala1, Jiabao He1, Joshua Wood1,
Alexander David Mendelow2, Patrick Mitchell2, Andrew M.
Blamire1
1Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre,
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, United Kingdom; 2Department
of Neurosurgery, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne &
Wear, United Kingdom
Mild
traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is associated with long term cognitive and
affective symptoms. Findings on conventional MRI often do not account for the
duration and severity of these symptoms. The aim of this study was to
ascertain whether MR relaxometry and diffusion tensor imaging would reveal
abnormalities in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) in patients with mTBI.
Whole group analysis showed no significant differences, but after grouping
the patients according to the side of the visible lesion, a significant
increase in the mean diffusivity (MD) of ipsilateral frontal lobe NAWM was
demonstrated.