Concussions accompanied With visible Alterations in the brain

new research reveals that concussive injuries come with objectively measurable changes in the brain.  The findings are exceptional because while post concussive symptoms are well known this study gives insight into the structural damage that may cause these symptoms.  The findings were published this week in the Journal of Neurosurgeory showing that the brain undoubtedly is physically altered following a concussive injury and these subtle changes are detectable on dMRI imaging.  The post dealt with hockey players however are equally applicable to concussions sustained in MMA and other combat sports.

Below are the conclusions of the study:

OBJECT

Concussion is a common injury in ice Camiseta Tigres UANL hockey and a health problem for the general population. Traumatic axonal injury has been associated with concussions (also referred to as mild traumatic brain injuries), yet the pathological course that leads from injury to recovery or to long-term sequelae is still not known. This study investigated the longitudinal course of concussion by comparing diffusion MRI (dMRI) scans of the brains of ice hockey players before and after a concussion.

METHODS

The 2011–2012 Hockey Concussion education project followed 45 university-level ice hockey players (both male and female) during a single Canadian Interuniversity sports season. Of these, 38 players had usable dMRI scans obtained in Camiseta Stade Rennais FC the Camiseta Gremio preseason. during the season, 11 players suffered a concussion, and 7 of these 11 players had usable dMRI scans that were taken within 72 hours of injury. To examine the data, the authors done free-water imaging, which reflects an increase in specificity over other dMRI analysis methods by identifying alterations that occur in the extracellular space compared with those that occur in proximity to cellular tissue in the white matter. They used an individualized technique to identify alterations that are spatially heterogeneous, as is expected in concussions.

RESULTS

Paired comparison of the concussed players before and after injury revealed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) common pattern of minimized free-water volume and minimized axial and radial diffusivities following elimination of free-water. These free-water–corrected procedures are less affected by partial volumes consisting of extracellular water and are as a result a lot more certain to processes that occur within the brain tissue. Fractional anisotropy was substantially increased, but this change was no longer significant following the free-water elimination. CONCLUSIONS Concussion during ice hockey games results in microstructural alterations that are detectable using dMRI. The alterations that the authors found suggest decreased extracellular space and decreased diffusivities in white matter tissue. This finding might be explained by swelling and/or by boosted cellularity of glia cells. even though these findings in and of themselves cannot figure out whether the observed microstructural alterations are related to long-term pathology or persistent symptoms, they are crucial nonetheless because they establish a clearer picture of how the brain responds to concussion.   Share this: Twitter Facebook Like this: Like Loading... Related There is nothing mild (Nor Unusual) about TJ Grant’s mild Traumatic brain InjuryJanuary 12, 2014In "Safety Studies" Study – Biomarkers could help identify CTE risk in athletes With history of brain InjurySeptember 26, 2016In "Safety Studies" Study – less Than 6% of combat sports Coaches showed appropriate Concussion KnowledgeDecember 14, 2021In "Safety Studies"