Pre-injury psychiatric history, subacute symptoms and personality traits predict social reintegration at 3-month post-mild traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to identify whether the presence of a pre-injury psychiatric history, subacute post-concussive symptoms (PCS) and personality traits were predictive of less favorable social reintegration for 3 months following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). METHOD: A total of 76 patients with mTBI were included, and the presence of a pre-injury psychiatric history was identified from the medical chart. One-month post-accident, these patients completed the Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory, 3rd Edition assessing personality traits and the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire to measure subacute PCS. Social reintegration was measured using the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory, 4th Edition at 3-month post-accident. RESULTS: The presence of pre-injury psychiatric history, high levels of subacute PCS and Cluster B personality traits such as histrionic and borderline features were significant predictors of social reintegration quality at 3-month post injury. CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights on cluster B personality traits and its influence on recovery and social reintegration at 3-month post mTBI.

Assessment of Oculomotor Functions as a Biomarker in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, is a major public health problem, and ambiguity still exists regarding its diagnosis. While functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been identified as a helpful screening tool for concussion, its limited accessibility in clinical or field settings necessitates a more efficient alternative. Oculomotor function deficit is an often-reported pathology in mTBI. Due to the neuroanatomical overlap between eye-movement circuitry and mTBI pathophysiology, visual deficits are expected. In this study, we investigate the possibility of using an oculomotor assessment tool for finding biomarkers in concussion. We used fMRI with tasks evaluating oculomotor functions: smooth pursuit (SP), saccades, anti-saccades, and optokinetic nystagmus (OKN). Before the scanning, the testing with a system of virtual reality goggles with integrated eye- and head-tracking was used where subjects performed the same tasks as those used in fMRI. Twenty-nine concussed symptomatic adults (CSA) within 1-month postconcussion and 29 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCS) were tested to examine blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI alterations associated with performances in oculomotor function after mTBI and evaluate the efficacy of the oculomotor assessment in detecting oculomotor and gaze deficits following mTBI. Comparing CSA with HCS, significant differences were observed in anti-saccades and OKN performance. CSA group exhibited elevated %BOLD signal change on each task compared with HCS: in the superior frontal gyrus during the smooth pursuit, inferior frontal gyrus during the saccades, putamen and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the anti-saccades, and lingual gyrus and IFG during the OKN. Key findings include the following: (1) oculomotor deficits in concussed subjects compared with controls, (2) abnormal activation patterns in areas related to the regulation and control of oculomotor movements, suggesting concussion-induced disruptions, and (3) the potential of oculomotor assessment as a promising approach for mTBI biomarkers, with anti-saccades and OKN identified as the most sensitive tasks.

Exploring oculomotor functions in a pilot study with healthy controls: Insights from eye-tracking and fMRI.

Eye-tracking techniques have gained widespread application in various fields including research on the visual system, neurosciences, psychology, and human-computer interaction, with emerging clinical implications. In this preliminary phase of our study, we introduce a pilot test of innovative virtual reality technology designed for tracking head and eye movements among healthy individuals. This tool was developed to assess the presence of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), given the frequent association of oculomotor function deficits with such injuries. Alongside eye-tracking, we also integrated fMRI due to the complementary nature of these techniques, offering insights into both neural activation patterns and behavioural responses, thereby providing a comprehensive understanding of oculomotor function. We used fMRI with tasks evaluating oculomotor functions: Smooth Pursuit (SP), Saccades, Anti-Saccades, and Optokinetic Nystagmus (OKN). Prior to the scanning, the testing with a system of VR goggles with integrated eye and head tracking was used where subjects performed the same tasks as those used in fMRI. 31 healthy adult controls (HCs) were tested with the purpose of identifying brain regions associated with these tasks and collecting preliminary norms for later comparison with concussed subjects. HCs' fMRI results showed following peak activation regions: SP-cuneus, superior parietal lobule, paracentral lobule, inferior parietal lobule (IPL), cerebellartonsil (CT); Saccades-middle frontal gyrus (MFG), postcentral gyrus, medial frontal gyrus; Anti-saccades-precuneus, IPL, MFG; OKN-middle temporal gyrus, ACC, postcentral gyrus, MFG, CT. These results demonstrated brain regions associated with the performance on oculomotor tasks in healthy controls and most of the highlighted areas are corresponding with those affected in concussion. This suggests that the involvement of brain areas susceptible to mTBI in implementing oculomotor evaluation, taken together with commonly reported oculomotor difficulties post-concussion, may lead to finding objective biomarkers using eye-tracking tasks.

Acute Traumatic Subdural Hematoma and Anticoagulation Risk.

BACKGROUND: Anticoagulation is used to prevent thromboembolic events. It is a common practice to hold anticoagulation in the first few days following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with intracranial hemorrhage. However, traumatic subdural hematomas (SDH) are prone to re-hemorrhage long after the trauma. Data are scarce in the literature on the best timing to resume anticoagulation following a TBI. METHODS: Review of 95 consecutive patients admitted to a level 1 trauma center with a diagnosis of traumatic SDH and requiring anticoagulation. The reasons for anticoagulation, the amount of time without anticoagulation, CT characteristics, and the incidence of thromboembolic events or SDH re-hemorrhage were collected. RESULTS: 41.3% used anticoagulation for coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease, 24% for atrial fibrillation, 12% for cardiac valve replacement, and 12% for venous thromboembolic events. Anticoagulation was held a median of 67 days. For most patients (82.1%), anticoagulation was re-introduced once the SDH had completely resolved. For 17.9%, anticoagulation was restarted while the SDH had not completely resolved. One (1.1%) patient suffered from an atrial clot while anticoagulation was held. For those with residual SDH, 41.2% suffered from a SDH re-hemorrhage and 17.6% required surgery. The risk of re-hemorrhage climbed to 62.5% if the SDH remnant was large. CONCLUSION: Anticoagulation while there is a residual SDH was associated with a significant risk of re-hemorrhage. This risk should be weighed against the risk of holding anticoagulation.

Noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging techniques in mild traumatic brain injury research and diagnosis.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), frequently referred to as concussion, is one of the most common neurological disorders. The underlying neural mechanisms of functional disturbances in the brains of concussed individuals remain elusive. Novel forms of brain imaging have been developed to assess patients postconcussion, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), diffusion MRI (dMRI), and perfusion MRI [arterial spin labeling (ASL)], but results have been mixed with a more common utilization in the research environment and a slower integration into the clinical setting. In this review, the benefits and drawbacks of the methods are described: fMRI is an effective method in the diagnosis of concussion but it is expensive and time-consuming making it difficult for regular use in everyday practice; SWI allows detection of microhemorrhages in acute and chronic phases of concussion; dMRI is primarily used for the detection of white matter abnormalities, especially axonal injury, specific for mTBI; and ASL is an alternative to the BOLD method with its ability to track cerebral blood flow alterations. Thus, the absence of a universal diagnostic neuroimaging method suggests a need for the adoption of a multimodal approach to the neuroimaging of mTBI. Taken together, these methods, with their underlying functional and structural features, can contribute from different angles to a deeper understanding of mTBI mechanisms such that a comprehensive diagnosis of mTBI becomes feasible for the clinician.

Atypical resting state functional connectivity in mild traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate changes in three intrinsic functional connectivity networks (IFCNs; default mode network [DMN], salience network [SN], and task-positive network [TPN]) in individuals who had sustained a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were acquired from 27 mTBI patients with persistent postconcussive symptoms, along with 26 age- and sex-matched controls. These individuals were recruited from a Level-1 trauma center, at least 3 months after a traumatic episode. IFCNs were established based on seed-to-voxel, region-of-interest (ROI) to ROI, and independent component analyses (ICA). Subsequently, we analyzed the relationship between functional connectivity and postconcussive symptoms. RESULTS: Seed-to-voxel analysis of rs-fMRI demonstrated decreased functional connectivity in the right lateral parietal lobe, part of the DMN, and increased functional connectivity in the supramarginal gyrus, part of the SN. Our TPN showed both hypo- and hyperconnectivity dependent on seed location. Within network hypoconnectivity was observed in the visual network also using group comparison. Using an ICA, we identified altered network functional connectivity in regions within four IFCNs (sensorimotor, visual, DMN, and dorsal attentional). A significant negative correlation between dorsal attentional network connectivity and behavioral symptoms score was also found. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that rs-fMRI may be of use clinically in order to assess disrupted functional connectivity among IFCNs in mTBI patients. Improved mTBI diagnostic and prognostic information could be especially relevant for athletes looking to safely return to play, as well for individuals from the general population with persistent postconcussive symptoms months after injury, who hope to resume activity.

Multidimensional Psychoeducative and Counseling Intervention (SAAM) for Symptomatic Patients With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate feasibility and explore the treatment effect of a psychoeducative and counseling intervention program targeting 4 postconcussion symptoms (SAAM: Sleep/fatigue, Attention, Anxiety/mood, Memory). SETTING: Level 1 trauma center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five patients with postconcussion symptoms enrolled 1 to 3 months post-accident. DESIGN: Parallel-group (experimental and wait-list control), randomized controlled trial, with masked outcome assessment the week following the last intervention session. The Experimental group received the SAAM intervention (1 session/week during 4 weeks); care as usual was maintained for both groups. MAIN MEASURE: Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ). SECONDARY MEASURES: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A/-D); Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI); attention and memory neuropsychological battery; Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ). TOLERABILITY MEASURE: A 10-item satisfaction questionnaire for the experimental group. RESULTS: 15.67% of the participants evaluated for eligibility were randomized and completed the evaluation at T0. High rates of satisfaction regarding the SAAM intervention were found in the experimental group (n = 10). One participant (experimental group) withdrew after T0. Exploratory results showed that the group × time interaction was not significant, but had a large effect size for the RPQ (P = .051, η2 = .16) and HADS-D (P = .052, η2 = 0.17), and a significant interaction was found with a large effect size for the PSQI (P = .017, η2 = .24) and MFI (P = .041, η2 = .18). Post-hoc analyses revealed a significant reduction of these variables post-intervention. No significant group × time interaction was observed for cognitive measures and CIQ. CONCLUSION: The pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and tolerability of the SAAM intervention. Preliminary data suggest that SAAM intervention delivered post-acutely might reduce postconcussion symptoms, depression symptoms, fatigue, and sleep difficulties. A larger scale randomized control trial is warranted to confirm these promising results.

Transcranial Blade Injuries and Principles of Their Safe Extraction.

Retained cranial blade injuries are uncommon events lacking standardized recommendations for appropriate surgical extraction. The authors present a case of a 30-year-old male who sustained a penetrating blade injury of the left orbit with intracranial extension through the skull base into the temporal lobe. The patient walked to the emergency room and remained alert. Clinically, the patient had only a small laceration of the left upper eyelid with no gross visual impairment.The radiological investigation confirmed the presence of a knife blade in the orbit. Intraoperative management included an intracranial approach and an extracranial craniofacial dissection for blade visualization and soft tissue protection, globe protection and to avoid any major bleeding. A thorough review of the penetrating cranial injuries literature is presented and a trauma management algorithm is offered for the care of similar injuries.

Evaluating task-based brain network activity in pediatric subjects with an mTBI: mechanisms of functional compensation are symptom-level dependent.

The diagnosis of a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) places large emphasis on patient-reported symptoms which has restricted our ability to evaluate patients. Task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging has the potential to act as an objective measurement of abnormal brain activity and inform clinical decision-making; however, there is little research evaluating pediatric subjects as a function of mTBI-related symptoms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent to which brain activity during a spatial navigation task is different between children with mTBI and a group of healthy controls (HCs) based on symptom reporting. A group of patients with mTBI (n = 27) were divided into low- and high-symptom cohorts and compared with HCs (n = 27) on a task that required participants to locate specific landmarks. No difference was found in the level of symptoms reported between patients with low-symptom participants and HCs despite the low-symptom group showing increased activity within the frontal and occipital cortices. In participants with high-symptoms, an increase in the number of reported symptoms was found relative to HCs alongside an increase in the number of active brain regions. Findings suggest that persons with an mTBI may display unique symptom-dependent patterns of altered task-related brain activity.

Discharge Against Medical Advice in Traumatic Brain Injury: Follow-Up and Readmission Rate.

BACKGROUND: Patients who leave hospital against medical advice (AMA) may be at risk of adverse health outcomes, medical complications, and readmission. In this study, we examined the characteristics of patients who left AMA after traumatic brain injury (TBI), their rates of follow-up visits, and readmission. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 106 consecutive patients who left the tertiary trauma center AMA (1.8% of all admitted patients with a TBI). Preinjury health and social issues, mechanism of injury, computed tomography findings, and injury markers were collected. They were correlated to compliance with follow-up visits and unplanned emergency room (ER) visits and readmission rates. RESULTS: The most prevalent premorbid health or social-related issues were alcohol abuse (33%) and assault as a mechanism of trauma (33%). Only 15 (14.2%) subjects came to follow-up visit for their TBI. Sixteen (15.1%) of the 106 subjects had multiple readmissions and/or ER visits related to substance abuse. Seven (6.6%) had multiple readmissions or ER visits with psychiatric reasons. Those patients with multiple readmissions and ER visits showed in higher proportion preexisting neurological condition (p=0.027), homelessness (p=0.012), previous neurosurgery (p=0.014), preexisting encephalomalacia (p=0.011), and had a higher ISS score (p=0.014) than those who were not readmitted multiple times. CONCLUSIONS: The significantly increased risks of multiple follow-up visits and readmission among TBI patients who leave hospital AMA are related to a premorbid vulnerability and psychosocial issues. Clinicians should target AMA TBI patients with premorbid vulnerability for discharge transition interventions.

Temporal delays in trauma craniotomies.

OBJECTIVE The Brain Trauma Foundation recommendation regarding the timing of surgical evacuation of epidural hematomas and subdural hematomas is to perform the procedure as soon as possible. Indeed, faster evacuation is associated with better outcome. However, to the authors' knowledge, no study has looked at where delays in intrahospital care occurred for patients suffering from traumatic intracranial mass lesions. The goals of this study were as follows: 1) to characterize the performance of a Level 1 trauma center in terms of delays for emergency trauma craniotomies, 2) to review step by step where delays occurred in patient care, and 3) to propose ways to improve performance. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted covering a 5-year period of all emergency trauma craniotomies. Demographic data, injury severity, neurological status, and functional outcome data were collected. The time elapsed between emergency department (ED) arrival and CT imaging, between CT imaging and arrival at the operating room (OR), between ED arrival and OR arrival, between OR arrival and skin incision, and between ED arrival and skin incision were calculated. Patients were also subcategorized as either having immediate life-threatening emergencies (E0) or life-threatening emergencies (E1). The operative technique was also reviewed (standard craniotomy opening vs immediate bur hole decompression followed by craniotomy). RESULTS The study included 166 patients. Of these, 58 (35%) were classified into the E0 group and 108 (64.2%) into the E1 group. The median ED-to-CT delay was 54 minutes with no significant difference between the E0 and the E1 groups. The median CT-to-OR time delay was 57 minutes. The median delay for the E0 group was 39 minutes and that for the E1 group was 70 minutes (p = 0.002). The median delay from ED to OR arrival for patients with a CT scanning done at an outside hospital was 75 minutes. The median delay from ED to OR arrival was 85 minutes for the E0 group and 127 minutes for the E1 group (p < 0.0001). The median delay from OR arrival to skin incision was 35 minutes (E0: median 27 minutes; E1: median 39 minutes; p < 0.0001). The median total time elapsed between ED arrival and skin incision was 150 minutes (E0: median 131 minutes; E1: median 180 minutes). Overall, only 17% of patients underwent immediate bur hole decompression, but the proportion climbed to 41% in the E0 group. A lower Glasgow Coma Scale score was associated with a shorter delay (p = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS A long delay until surgery still exists for patients requiring urgent mass lesion evacuation. Many factors contribute to this delay, including performing imaging and transfer to and preparation in the OR. Strategies can be implemented to reduce delays and improve the delivery of care.

Epidural Hematoma Treated Conservatively: When to Expect the Worst.

BACKGROUND: The Brain Trauma Foundation's 2006 surgical guidelines have objectively defined the epidural hematoma (EDH) patients who can be treated conservatively. Since then, the literature has not provided adequate clues to identify patients who are at higher risk for EDH progression (EDHP) and conversion to surgical therapy. The goal of our study was to identify those patients. METHODS: We carried a retrospective review over a 5-year period of all EDH who were initially triaged for conservative management. Demographic data, injury severity and history, neurological status, use of anticoagulants or anti-platelets, radiological parameters, conversion to surgery and its timing, and Glasgow Outcome Scale were analyzed. Bivariate association and further logistic regression were used to point out the significant predictors of EDHP and conversion to surgery. RESULTS: 125 patients (75% of all EDH) were included. The mean age was 39.1 years. The brain injury was mild in 62.4% of our sample and severe in 14.4%. Only 11.2% of the patients required surgery. Statistical comparison showed that younger age (p< 0.0001) and coagulopathy (p=0.009) were the only significant factors for conversion to surgery. There was no difference in outcomes between patients who had EDHP and those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Most traumatic EDH are not surgical at presentation. The rate of conversion to surgery is low. Significant predictors of EDHP are coagulopathy and younger age. These patients need closer observation because of a higher risk of EDHP. Outcome of surgical conversion was similar to successful conservative management.

Does Balloon Kyphoplasty Deliver More Cement Safely into Osteoporotic Vertebrae with Compression Fractures Compared with Vertebroplasty? A Study in Vertebral Analogues.

Study Design A biomechanical and radiographic study using vertebral analogues. Objectives Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are widely used techniques to alleviate pain in fractures secondary to osteoporosis. However, cement leakage toward vital structures like the spinal cord can be a major source of morbidity and even mortality. We define safe cement injection as the volume of the cement injected into a vertebra before the cement leakage occurs. Our objective is to compare the amount of cement that can be safely injected into an osteoporotic vertebra with simulated compression fracture using either vertebroplasty or balloon kyphoplasty techniques. Methods Forty artificial vertebral analogues made of polyurethane with osteoporotic cancellous matrix representing the L3 vertebrae were used for this study and were divided into four groups of 10 vertebrae each. The four groups tested were: low-viscosity cement injected using vertebroplasty, high-viscosity cement injected using vertebroplasty, low-viscosity cement injected using balloon kyphoplasty, and high-viscosity cement injected using balloon kyphoplasty. The procedures were performed under fluoroscopic guidance. The injection was stopped when the cement started protruding from the created vascular channel in the osteoporotic vertebral fracture model. The main outcome measured was the volume of the cement injected safely into a vertebra before leakage through the posterior vascular channel. Results The highest volume of the cement injected was in the vertebroplasty group using high-viscosity cement, which was almost twice the injected volume in the other three groups. One-way analysis of variance comparing the four groups showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.005). Conclusions High-viscosity cement injected using vertebroplasty delivers more cement volume before cement leakage and fills the vertebral body more uniformly when compared with balloon kyphoplasty in osteoporotic vertebrae with compression fractures.

Nonsurgical acute traumatic subdural hematoma: what is the risk?

OBJECT: The Brain Trauma Foundation has published guidelines on the surgical management of traumatic subdural hematoma (SDH). However, no data exist on the proportion of patients with SDH that can be selected for conservative management and what is the outcome of these patients. The goals of this study were as follows: 1) to establish what proportion of patients are initially treated conservatively; 2) to determine what proportion of patients will deteriorate and require surgical evacuation; and 3) to identify risk factors associated with deterioration and delayed surgery. METHODS: All cases of acute traumatic SDH (869 when inclusion criteria were met) presenting over a 4-year period were reviewed. For all conservatively treated SDH, the proportion of delayed surgical intervention and the Glasgow Outcome Scale score were taken as outcome measures. Multiple factors were compared between patients who required delayed surgery and patients without surgery. RESULTS: Of the 869 patients with acute traumatic SDH, 646 (74.3%) were initially treated conservatively. A good outcome was achieved in 76.7% of the patients. Only 6.5% eventually required delayed surgery, and the median delay for surgery was 9.5 days. Factors associated with deterioration were as follows: 1) thicker SDH (p<0.001); 2) greater midline shift (p<0.001); 3) location at the convexity (p=0.001); 4) alcohol abuse (p=0.0260); and 5) history of falls (p=0.018). There was no significant difference in regard to age, sex, Glasgow Coma Scale score, Injury Severity Score, abnormal coagulation, use of blood thinners, and presence of cerebral atrophy or white matter disease. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with SDH are treated conservatively. Of those, only 6.5% later required surgery, for raised intracranial pressure or SDH progression. Patients at risk can be identified and followed more carefully.

Persistent Postconcussive Symptoms Are Accompanied by Decreased Functional Brain Oxygenation.

Diagnostic methods are considered a major concern in the determination of mild traumatic brain injury. The authors examined brain oxygenation patterns in subjects with severe and minor persistent postconcussive difficulties and a healthy control group during working memory tasks in prefrontal brain regions using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The results demonstrated decreased working memory performances among concussed subjects with severe postconcussive symptoms that were accompanied by decreased brain oxygenation patterns. An association appears to exist between decreased brain oxygenation, poor performance of working memory tasks, and increased symptom severity scores in subjects suffering from persistent postconcussive symptoms.

Navigational memory functional magnetic resonance imaging: a test for concussion in children.

Concussions are high incidence injuries with potentially devastating consequences. Youths are at risk because of a higher threat of repeated injury, and cumulative effects of concussions exist, making accurate diagnosis and follow-up essential. This study examines a navigational memory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task to determine whether activation differences exist between children with concussion and uninjured controls. Fifty adolescents were recruited-35 controls and 15 with concussion. All subjects underwent structural and fMRI testing using our navigational memory task, and a battery of neuropsychological testing. The activation patterns of the 15 subjects with concussion were compared with those of 15 age and sex-matched controls. Subtraction and regression analyses were performed using the matched controls along with scatter-plots using means and 95% quantiles of the 35 controls. While no differences were seen with neuropsychological testing or task performance, subjects with concussion had significantly diminished activation in the retrosplenial, thalamic, and parahippocampal areas bilaterally, along with the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left precuneus. Interestingly, they had increased activation in the left hippocampus and right middle temporal gyrus. Regression analysis demonstrated negative correlations between activation and post-concussive symptoms in the left premotor cortex, superior and inferior parietal lobules, and parahippocampal gyrus. Subjects with concussion show both diminished and increased activation in specific cerebral regions, differentiating them from controls. This is one of the first studies to look at such a task using fMRI and its applicability in testing for concussion in children. These findings support navigational memory fMRI as a potential objective test for concussions.

A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of working memory in youth after sports-related concussion: is it still working?

Abstract In children, the importance of detecting deficits after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion has grown with the increasing popularity of leisure physical activities and contact sports. Whereas most postconcussive symptoms (PCS) are similar for children and adults, the breadth of consequences to children remains largely unknown. To investigate the effect of mTBI on brain function, we compared working memory performance and related brain activity using blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 15 concussed youths and 15 healthy age-matched control subjects. Neuropsychological tests, self-perceived PCS, and levels of anxiety and depression were also assessed. Our results showed that, behaviorally, concussed youths had significantly worse performances on the working memory tasks, as well as on the Rey figure delayed recall and verbal fluency. fMRI results revealed that, compared to healthy children, concussed youths had significantly reduced task-related activity in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left premotor cortex, supplementary motor area, and left superior parietal lobule during performance of verbal and nonverbal working memory tasks. Additionally, concussed youths also showed less activation than healthy controls in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, left thalamus, and left caudate nucleus during the nonverbal task. Regression analysis indicated that BOLD signal changes in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were significantly correlated with performance such that greater activities in these regions, relative to the control condition, were associated with greater accuracy. Our findings confirmed functional alterations in brain activity after concussion in youths, a result similar to that observed in adults. However, significant differences were noted. In particular, the observation of reduced working memory accuracy suggests that youths may be unable to engage compensatory strategies to maintain cognitive performance after mTBI. This has significant implications for safe return to daily activities, including competitive sport.

Long-term functional benefits of selective dorsal rhizotomy for spastic cerebral palsy.

OBJECT: Large-scale natural history studies of gross motor development have shown that children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) plateau during childhood and actually decline through adolescence. Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a well-recognized treatment for spastic CP, but little is known about long-term outcomes of this treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the durability of functional outcomes in a large number of patients through adolescence and into early adulthood using standardized assessment tools. METHODS: The authors analyzed long-term follow-up data in children who had been evaluated by a multidisciplinary team preoperatively and at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years after SDR. These evaluations included quantitative, standardized assessments of lower-limb tone (Ashworth Scale), Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), and performance of activities of daily living (ADLs) by the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory in children who had been stratified by motor severity using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). In addition, group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was used to identify any heterogeneity of response to SDR among these treated children, and to find which pretreatment variables might be associated with this heterogeneity. Finally, a chart review of adjunct orthopedic procedures required by these children following SDR was performed. RESULTS: Of 102 patients who underwent preoperative evaluations, 97, 62, 57, and 14 patients completed postoperative assessments at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. After SDR, through adolescence and into early adulthood, statistically significant durable improvements in lower-limb muscle tone, gross motor function, and performance of ADLs were found. When stratified by the GMFCS, long-lasting improvements for GMFCS Groups I, II, and III were found. The GBTM revealed 4 groups of patients who responded differently to SDR. This group assignment was associated with distribution of spasticity (diplegia was associated with better outcomes than triplegia or quadriplegia) and degree of hip adductor spasticity (Ashworth score < 3 was associated with better outcomes than a score of 3), but not with age, sex, degree of ankle plantar flexion spasticity, or degree of hamstring spasticity. In a sample of 88 patients who had complete records of orthopedic procedures and botulinum toxin (Botox) injections, 52 (59.1%) underwent SDR alone, 11 (12.5%) received only Botox injections in addition to SDR, while 25 patients (28.4%) needed further lower-extremity orthopedic surgery after SDR. CONCLUSIONS: In the majority of patients, the benefits of SDR are durable through adolescence and into early adulthood. These benefits include improved muscle tone, gross motor function, and performance of ADLs, as well as a decreased need for adjunct orthopedic procedures or Botox injections. The children most likely to display these long-term benefits are those in GMFCS Groups I, II, and III, with spastic diplegia, less hip adductor spasticity, and preoperative GMFM scores greater than 60.