Citation

Wade B, Tate DF, Kennedy E, Bigler EDPD, York G, Taylor B, Troyanskaya M, Hovenden E, Goodrich-Hunsaker NJ, Newsome M, Dennis EL, Abildskov TJ, Pugh MJ, Walker WC, Kenney K, Betts AM, Shih R, Welsh R, Wilde EA. J. Neurotrauma 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2022.0094

PMID

37694678

Abstract

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is the most common form of brain injury. While most individuals recover from mTBI, roughly 20% experience persistent symptoms, potentially including reduced fine motor control. We investigate relationships between regional white matter organization and subcortical volumes associated with performance on the Grooved Pegboard (GPB) test in a large cohort of military Service Members and Veterans (SM&Vs) with and without a history of mTBI(s). Participants were enrolled in the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium- Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium. SM&Vs with a history of mTBI(s) (n=847) and without mTBI (n=190) underwent MRI and the GPB test. We first examined between-group differences in GPB completion time. We then investigated associations between GPB performance and regional structural imaging measures (tractwise diffusivity, subcortical volumes, and cortical thickness) in SM&Vs with a history of mTBI(s). Lastly, we explored whether mTBI history moderated associations between imaging measures and GPB performance. SM&Vs with mTBI(s) performed worse than those without mTBI(s) on the non-dominant hand GPB test at a trend level (p<0.1). Higher FA of tracts including the posterior corona radiata, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus were associated with better GPB performance in the dominant hand in SM&Vs with mTBI(s). These findings support that the organization of several white matter bundles are associated with fine motor performance in SM&Vs. We did not observe that mTBI history moderated associations between regional FA and GPB test completion time, suggesting that chronic mTBI may not significantly influence fine motor control.

Language: en

Keywords

ADULT BRAIN INJURY; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; LOCOMOTOR FUNCTION; MILITARY INJURY; MRI