Persistent symptoms in mild to moderate traumatic brain injury associated with executive dysfunction

Abstract

In order to improve detection of subtle cognitive dysfunction and to shed light on the etiology of persistent symptoms after mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI), we employed an experimental executive reaction time (RT) test, standardized neuropsychological tests, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The Executive RT-Test, an Executive Composite Score from standardized neuropsychological tests, and DTI-indices in the midbrain differentiated between patients with persistent symptoms from those fully recovered after mild-to-moderate TBI. We suggest that persistent symptoms in mild-to-moderate TBI may reflect disrupted fronto-striatal network involved in executive functioning, and the Executive RT-Test provides an objective and novel method to detect it.

Keywords:

• Executive function
• Mild traumatic brain injury
• Postconcussion syndrome
• Head injury
• Diffusion tensor imaging
• Neuropsychological assessment
• Frontal lobes
• Mesencephalon
• Cognitive performance
• Reaction time