Citation

Chamard E, Henry L, Boulanger Y, Lassonde M, Théoret H. J. Neurotrauma 2014; 31(4): 339-345.

Affiliation

University of Montreal, Psychology, Montreal, Canada ; emilie.chamard.2@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2013.3083

PMID

24053210

Abstract

Athletes who sustained a concussion demonstrate a variety of symptoms and neuropsychological alterations that could be brought on by neurometabolic abnormalities. However, no study has yet investigated these aspects in female athletes using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The present study investigated the neurometabolic and neuropsychological effects of a concussion in the acute (7-10 days post-injury) and chronic (6 months post-injury) phases following injury. Eleven female concussed athletes and 10 female control athletes were scanned at both time points in a 3T MRI scanner. Neuropsychological and symptomatic evaluations were completed at each time point. Neuropsychological alterations and a higher severity of symptoms were found in the acute phase in concussed athletes relative to controls, but showed recovery in the chronic phase. Concussed athletes showed neurometabolic impairment in prefrontal and motor cortices characterized by a pathological increase of Glx/Cr only in the chronic phase. Also, a significant decrease in NAA/Cr ratio was observed in controls athletes at the second time point. Concussed female athletes showed acute cognitive alterations and higher severity of symptoms that do not appear to be underlied by neurometabolic abnormalities, which are only present in the chronic post-injury phase.

Language: en