Citation

van der Horn HJ, Liemburg EJ, Aleman A, Spikman JM, Naalt JV. J. Neurotrauma 2015; 33(1): 1-9.

Affiliation

University Medical Centre Groningen, Neurology , Hanzeplein 1 , Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands , 9700RB , 0031503612886 ; h.j.van.der.horn@umcg.nl.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2015.3905

PMID

25962860

Abstract

The majority of patients with traumatic brain injury sustain a mild injury (mTBI). One out of four patients experiences persistent complaints, despite their often normal neuropsychological test results and the absence of structural brain damage on conventional neuroimaging. The susceptibility to develop persistent complaints is thought to be affected by inter-individual differences in adaptation, which can also be influenced by pre-injury psychological factors. Coping is a key construct of adaptation and refers to strategies to deal with new situations and serious life events. An important element of coping is the ability to regulate emotions and stress. The prefrontal cortex is a crucial area in this regulation process, as it exerts a top-down influence on the amygdala and other subcortical structures involved in emotion processing. However, little is known about the role of the prefrontal cortex and associated brain networks in emotion regulation and adaptation after mTBI. Especially, the influence of prefrontal dysfunction on the development of persistent post-concussive complaints is poorly understood. In this paper we aim to integrate findings from functional and structural MRI studies on this topic.

Language: en