A concussion is a common occurrence for those who engage in contact sports. It also can occur as a result of events such as a fall, auto accident, or bicycle accident. Repeated concussions have been associated with permanent brain injury; however, a new study has found that even a single concussion may have a lasting impact on the brain, resulting in long-term structural damage. Researchers affiliated with the New York University Langone School of Medicine published their findings online on March 12 in the journal Radiology.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year, 1.7 million individuals suffer a traumatic brain injury; 75% of which are mild traumatic brain injuries. The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) defines an MTBI as a traumatically induced physiological disruption of brain functions, manifested by at least a period of loss of consciousness, any loss of memory, an alteration of mental state or focal neurological deficits. A concussion occurs most commonly when the head is severely struck or one experiences severe whiplash. Many patients experience symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, memory problems, and even depression or anxiety. Sometimes, these side effects last for months, and even years.
The researchers set out to determine the lasting impact of an MTBI; they examined 28 MTBI patients with post-traumatic symptoms, 19 of whom they followed for a full year. A matched control group of 22 individuals were also examined, 12 of whom were followed for a year. The investigators used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to map the patients’ brains one to two months after injury, and then a full year after injury. After 12 months, the researchers found measurable global differences in brain volume, as well as structural damage to regional areas of the brain, including the anterior cingulate white matter as well as the precuneal region. Lead author Dr. Yvonne Lui, neuroradiology section chief and assistant professor of radiology at the university noted that the researchers were not entirely sure what the abnormalities meant; however, the fact that the anterior cingulate was involved was very significant because it is often implicated in depression. She noted that patients with concussion can suffer from depression and do suffer from depression greater than expected in the regular population.
In order to determine the lasting impact of an MTBI, Lui and her colleagues examined 28 MTBI patients with post-traumatic symptoms, 19 of whom they followed for a full year. A matched control group of 22 individuals were also examined, 12 of whom were followed for a year.
Utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Lui was able to map the patients’ brains one to two months after injury, and then a full year after injury. After 12 months, the researchers found measurable global differences in brain volume, as well as structural damage to regional areas of the brain – including the anterior cingulate white matter as well as the precuneal region.
“We’re not entirely sure (what it means), but it’s very provocative that the anterior cingulate was involved, because it is often implicated in depression,” Lui said, “and certainly patients with concussion can suffer from depression and do suffer from depression greater than expected in the regular population.”
The authors concluded that their study confirms that at least in some patients, a lasting structural effect may occur from a concussion and that it gives some biologic explanation to some individual’s ongoing symptoms. They note that research is ongoing regarding the long-term effects of concussions; however, their research could potentially help change the way concussions are currently treated, helping individuals get the behavioral, cognitive and medical therapies they need to avoid long-term damage.
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