Citation

Wilde EA, Merkley TL, Lindsey HM, Bigler ED, Hunter JV, Ewing-Cobbs L, Aitken ME, Macleod MC, Hanten G, Chu ZD, Abildskov TJ, Noble L, Levin H. J. Neurotrauma 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2019.6698

PMID

32503385

Abstract

This study investigated patterns of cortical organization in adolescents who had sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during early childhood to determine ways in which early head injury may alter typical brain development. Increased gyrification in other patient populations is associated with polymicrogyria and aberrant development, but this has not been investigated in TBI. Seventeen adolescents (mean age = 14.1 ± 2.4) who sustained a TBI between 1-8 years of age, and 17 demographically-matched typically-developing children (TDC) underwent a high-resolution, T1-weighted 3-Tesla MRI at 6-15 years post-injury. Cortical white matter volume and organization was measured using FreeSurfer's local gyrification index (LGI). Despite a lack of significant difference in white matter volume, participants with TBI demonstrated significantly increased LGI in several cortical regions that are amongst those latest to mature in normal development, including left parietal association areas, bilateral dorsolateral and medial frontal areas, and the right posterior temporal gyrus, relative to the TDC group. There was also no evidence of increased surface area in the regions that demonstrated increased LGI. Higher Vineland-II Socialization scores were associated with decreased LGI in right frontal and temporal regions. The present results suggest an altered pattern of expected development in cortical gyrification in the TBI group, with changes in late-developing frontal and parietal association areas. Such changes in brain structure may underlie cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with pediatric TBI. Alternatively, increased gyrification following TBI may represent a compensatory mechanism that allows for typical development of cortical surface area, despite reduced brain volume.

Language: en

Keywords

Behavior; PEDIATRIC BRAIN INJURY; MRI; NEUROPLASTICITY; OUTCOME MEASURES