@article{ref1,
title="Exploration of gray matter correlates of cognitive training benefit in adolescents with chronic traumatic brain injury",
journal="Neuroimage: clinical",
year="2019",
author="Catharine, Vander Linden and Helena, Verhelst and Ellen, Deschepper and Guy, Vingerhoets and Karel, Deblaere and Karen, Caeyenberghs",
volume="23",
number="",
pages="e101827-e101827",
abstract="Sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during adolescence has a profound effect on brain development and can result in persistent executive functioning deficits in daily life. Cognitive recovery from pediatric-TBI relies on the potential of neuroplasticity, which can be fostered by restorative training-programs. However the structural mechanisms underlying cognitive recovery in the immature brain are poorly understood. This study investigated gray matter plasticity following 2 months of cognitive training in young patients with TBI. Sixteen adolescents in the chronic stage of moderate-severe-TBI (9 male, mean age = 15y8m ± 1y7m) were enrolled in a cognitive computerized training program for 8 weeks (5 times/week, 40 min/session). Pre-and post-intervention, and 6 months after completion of the training, participants underwent a comprehensive neurocognitive test-battery and anatomical Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans. We selected 9 cortical-subcortical Regions-Of-Interest associated with Executive Functioning (EF-ROIs) and 3 control regions from the Desikan-Killiany atlas. Baseline analyses showed significant decreased gray matter density in the superior frontal gyri p = 0.033, superior parietal gyri p = 0.015 and thalamus p = 0.006 in adolescents with TBI compared to age and gender matched controls. Linear mixed model analyses of longitudinal volumetric data of the EF-ROI revealed no strong evidence of training-related changes in the group with TBI. However, compared to the change over time in the control regions between post-intervention and 6 months follow-up, the change in the EF-ROIs showed a significant difference. Exploratory analyses revealed a negative correlation between the change on the Digit Symbol Substitution test and the change in volume of the putamen (r = -0.596, p = 0.015). This preliminary study contributes to the insights of training-related plasticity mechanisms after pediatric-TBI.<br><br>Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2213-1582",
doi="10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101827",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101827"
}