Pain-Related White-Matter Changes Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging Pilot Study

Overview

Journal Diagnostics (Basel)

Specialty Radiology

Date 2025 Mar 13

PMID 40075890

Authors

Ho-Ching Yang

Tyler Nguyen

Fletcher A White

Kelly M Naugle

Yu-Chien Wu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to detect brain microstructural changes in participants with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) who experienced post-traumatic headaches, a common issue that affects quality of life and rehabilitation. Despite its prevalence, the mechanisms behind post-traumatic headache are not well understood. Participants were recruited from Level 1 trauma centers, and MRI scans, including T1-weighted anatomical imaging and DTI, were acquired 1 month post-injury. Advanced imaging techniques corrected artifacts and extracted diffusion tensor measures reflecting white-matter integrity. Pain sensitivity assays were collected at 1 and 6 months post-injury, including quantitative sensory testing and psychological assessments. Significant aberrations in axial diffusivity in the forceps major were observed in mTBI participants ( = 12) compared to healthy controls ( = 10) 1 month post-injury ( = 0.02). Within the mTBI group, DTI metrics at 1 month were significantly associated with pain-related and psychological outcomes at 6 months. Statistical models revealed group differences in the right sagittal stratum ( < 0.01), left insula ( < 0.04), and left superior longitudinal fasciculus ( < 0.05). : This study shows that DTI metrics at 1 month post-injury are sensitive to mTBI and predictive of chronic pain and psychological outcomes at 6 months.

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