Citation

Jang SH, Kim SH, Lee HD. Transl. Neurosci. 2019; 10: 99-103.

Affiliation

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Walter de Gruyter)

DOI

10.1515/tnsci-2019-0017

PMID

31098319

PMCID

PMC6487797

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: We investigated differences in the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) injuries between patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and cerebral concussion by using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT).

METHODS: Thirty-one patients with mTBI, 29 patients with concussion, and 30 control subjects were recruited. We used DTT to reconstruct the lower ventral and dorsal ARAS, and the upper ARAS. The fractional anisotropy (FA) value and the fiber number (FN) of the lower ventral and dorsal ARAS, and the upper ARAS were determined.

RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the FA values of the lower ventral and dorsal ARAS on both sides between the mTBI and control groups and between the concussion and control groups (p < 0.05). The FN value was significantly different in the lower ventral ARAS on both sides between the concussion and control groups and between the mTBI and concussion groups (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Both the mTBI and concussion patients suffered injuries in the lower ventral and dorsal ARAS, with the concussion patients exhibiting more severe injury in the ventral ARAS than that in the mTBI patients. These results suggest that the terms mTBI and concussion should be used differentially, even though they have used interchangeably for a long time.

Language: en

Keywords

Ascending reticular activating system; Cerebral concussion; Diffusion tensor imaging; Diffusion tensor tractography; Mild traumatic brain injury