Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Cingulum Bundle in Children After Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

Structural damage to the prefrontal-cingulate network has been implicated in cognitive and neurobehavioral deficits associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Forty-six children who had sustained moderate-to-severe TBI and 43 children with extracranial injury were imaged using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were found in the cingulum bundles bilaterally in the TBI group. Cingulum ADC was related to frontal lesion volume, injury severity, and injury mechanism. Finally, cingulum DTI parameters were related to cognitive control measures. DTI detects TBI-related injury to the cingulum, which may facilitate advances in assessment and treatment.

Notes

This work was supported by the National Institute Neurological Disorders and Stroke grant R01-NS21889 (“Neurobehavioral outcome of head injury in children,” Levin, PI). The authors also acknowledge the generous contribution of Mission Connect of the TIRR Foundation.