Thalamic integrity underlies executive dysfunction in traumatic brain injury.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To quantify the effects of traumatic brain injury on integrity of thalamocortical projection fibers and to evaluate whether damage to these fibers accounts for impairments in executive function in chronic traumatic brain injury.

Methods

High-resolution (voxel size: 0.78 mm x 0.78 mm x 3 mm(3)) diffusion tensor MRI of the thalamus was conducted on 24 patients with a history of single, closed-head traumatic brain injury (TBI) (12 each of mild TBI and moderate to severe TBI) and 12 age- and education-matched controls. Detailed neuropsychological testing with an emphasis on executive function was also conducted. Fractional anisotropy was extracted from 12 regions of interest in cortical and corpus callosum structures and 7 subcortical regions of interest (anterior, ven

SUBMITTER: Little DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2830915 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature