Diagnostic Approach to Traumatic Axonal Injury of the Spinothalamic Tract in Individual Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Objectives: We investigated an approach for the diagnosis of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) of the spinothalamic tract (STT) that was based on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) results and a statistical comparison of individual patients who showed central pain following mild traumatic brain injury...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-11-01
|
| Series: | Diagnostics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/9/4/199 |
| _version_ | 1817992347731886080 |
|---|---|
| author | Sung Ho Jang Han Do Lee |
| author_facet | Sung Ho Jang Han Do Lee |
| author_sort | Sung Ho Jang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: We investigated an approach for the diagnosis of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) of the spinothalamic tract (STT) that was based on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) results and a statistical comparison of individual patients who showed central pain following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with the control group. Methods: Five right-handed female patients in their forties and with central pain following mTBI and 12 age-, sex-, and handedness-matched healthy control subjects were recruited. After DTT reconstruction of the STT, we analyzed the STT in terms of three DTT parameters (fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and fiber number (FN)) and its configuration (narrowing and tearing). To assess narrowing, we determined the area of the STT on an axial slice of the subcortical white matter. Results: the FN values were significantly lower in at least one hemisphere of each patient when compared to those of the control subjects (<i>p </i><<i> </i>0.05). Significant decrements from the STT area in the control group were observed in at least one hemisphere of each patient (<i>p </i><<i> </i>0.05). Regarding configurational analysis, the STT showed narrowing and/or partial tearing in at least one hemisphere of each of the five patients. Conclusions: Herein, we demonstrate a DTT-based approach for the diagnosis of TAI of the STT. The approach involves a statistical comparison between DTT parameters of individual patients who show central pain following mTBI and those of an age-, gender-, and handedness-matched control group. We think that the method described in this study can be useful in the diagnosis of TAI of the STT in individual mTBI patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:25:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1379ddba16634853aab5aba9cc1e4b2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:25:07Z |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-1379ddba16634853aab5aba9cc1e4b2a2022-12-22T02:20:29ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182019-11-019419910.3390/diagnostics9040199diagnostics9040199Diagnostic Approach to Traumatic Axonal Injury of the Spinothalamic Tract in Individual Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain InjurySung Ho Jang0Han Do Lee1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, HyunChungro 170, Daegu 705-717, KoreaDepartment of Physical Therapy, College of Natural Science, Ulsan College University, Bongsuro 101 Dongku, Ulsan 44022, KoreaObjectives: We investigated an approach for the diagnosis of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) of the spinothalamic tract (STT) that was based on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) results and a statistical comparison of individual patients who showed central pain following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with the control group. Methods: Five right-handed female patients in their forties and with central pain following mTBI and 12 age-, sex-, and handedness-matched healthy control subjects were recruited. After DTT reconstruction of the STT, we analyzed the STT in terms of three DTT parameters (fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and fiber number (FN)) and its configuration (narrowing and tearing). To assess narrowing, we determined the area of the STT on an axial slice of the subcortical white matter. Results: the FN values were significantly lower in at least one hemisphere of each patient when compared to those of the control subjects (<i>p </i><<i> </i>0.05). Significant decrements from the STT area in the control group were observed in at least one hemisphere of each patient (<i>p </i><<i> </i>0.05). Regarding configurational analysis, the STT showed narrowing and/or partial tearing in at least one hemisphere of each of the five patients. Conclusions: Herein, we demonstrate a DTT-based approach for the diagnosis of TAI of the STT. The approach involves a statistical comparison between DTT parameters of individual patients who show central pain following mTBI and those of an age-, gender-, and handedness-matched control group. We think that the method described in this study can be useful in the diagnosis of TAI of the STT in individual mTBI patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/9/4/199spinothalamic tractmild traumatic brain injurytraumatic axonal injurydiffusion tensor tractography |
| spellingShingle | Sung Ho Jang Han Do Lee Diagnostic Approach to Traumatic Axonal Injury of the Spinothalamic Tract in Individual Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Diagnostics spinothalamic tract mild traumatic brain injury traumatic axonal injury diffusion tensor tractography |
| title | Diagnostic Approach to Traumatic Axonal Injury of the Spinothalamic Tract in Individual Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury |
| title_full | Diagnostic Approach to Traumatic Axonal Injury of the Spinothalamic Tract in Individual Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury |
| title_fullStr | Diagnostic Approach to Traumatic Axonal Injury of the Spinothalamic Tract in Individual Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diagnostic Approach to Traumatic Axonal Injury of the Spinothalamic Tract in Individual Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury |
| title_short | Diagnostic Approach to Traumatic Axonal Injury of the Spinothalamic Tract in Individual Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury |
| title_sort | diagnostic approach to traumatic axonal injury of the spinothalamic tract in individual patients with mild traumatic brain injury |
| topic | spinothalamic tract mild traumatic brain injury traumatic axonal injury diffusion tensor tractography |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/9/4/199 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sunghojang diagnosticapproachtotraumaticaxonalinjuryofthespinothalamictractinindividualpatientswithmildtraumaticbraininjury AT handolee diagnosticapproachtotraumaticaxonalinjuryofthespinothalamictractinindividualpatientswithmildtraumaticbraininjury |