Longitudinal changes in mathematical abilities and white matter following paediatric mild traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Primary objective: Paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been associated with acute and long-term mathematical difficulties. Little is known about the recovery of these impairments in children with mild TBI (mTBI) and their underlying pathophysiology, such as white matter abnormalities.

Research design: A prospective longitudinal study followed the recovery of mathematical abilities and white matter in children with mTBI from the sub-acute (1 month post-injury) to chronic stage (6–8 months post-injury) of recovery.

Methods and procedures: Twenty children with mTBI and 20 matched controls completed mathematics tests. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) metrics of white matter pathways corpus callosum (CC), superior and longitudinal fasciculi were examined with DTI-tractography.

Main outcomes and results: Mathematical difficulties and white matter abnormalities in the CC observed shortly after the injury resolved after 6–8 months of recovery. Children with mTBI continued to show working memory deficits. Longitudinal DTI data suggest continued maturation of the CC in controls, but little maturation of the damaged CC in children with mTBI.

Conclusions: Children with mTBI recovered in terms of mathematical abilities and white matter. These children continued to show working memory deficits, which might interfere with learning at school.

• Children
• diffuse axonal injury
• education
• mild brain injury
• traumatic brain injury

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the ‘Research Foundation Flanders’ FWO (grant number G.A113.11N). We thank the children and their families for their time and contribution to this study.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.