PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bell, Tiffany K.
AU  - Ansari, Muhammad
AU  - Joyce, Julie M.
AU  - Mercier, Leah J.
AU  - Gobbi, David G.
AU  - Frayne, Richard
AU  - Debert, Chantel
AU  - Harris, Ashley D.
TI  - Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping in Adults with Persistent Postconcussion Symptoms after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Exploratory Study
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A8454
DP  - 2025 Feb 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 435--442
VI  - 46
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/46/2/435.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/46/2/435.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2025 Feb 01; 46
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It is estimated that 18%–30% of patients with concussion experience symptoms lasting more than 1 month, known as persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS). Symptoms can be debilitating, and include headache, dizziness, nausea, problems with memory and concentration, sleep and mood disruption, and exercise intolerance. Previous studies have used quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) to show altered tissue susceptibility levels in adults acutely following concussion, however this finding has yet to be investigated in participants with PPCS.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this exploratory case-controlled study, we measured tissue susceptibility using QSM in 24 participants with PPCS after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and 23 healthy controls with no history of concussion. We compute tissue susceptibility for 7 white matter tracts and 3 deep gray matter regions and compare tissue susceptibility between groups using ANCOVA models controlling for age and sex. We also assess the relationship between regional tissue susceptibility and symptoms.RESULTS: There were no significant differences between tissue susceptibility in participants with PPCS compared with control subjects in any of the evaluated regions. However, we show lower tissue susceptibility across 4 white matter tracts was generally associated with worse symptoms in the PPCS group. Specifically, we saw relationships between white matter susceptibility and headache (p = .006), time since injury (p = .03), depressive symptoms (p = .021), and daytime fatigue (p = .01) in participants with PPCS.CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence in support of persistent changes in the brain months to years after injury and highlight the need to further understand the pathophysiology of PPCS, to determine effective prevention and treatment options.ACTBIAerobic Exercise for Chronic Symptoms following mild Traumatic Brain InjuryATRanterior thalamic radiationCCBcorpus callosum bodyCCGcorpus callosum genuCCScorpus callosum spleniumDHIDizziness Handicap InventoryESSEpworth Sleepiness ScaleGADGeneralized Anxiety DisorderFAfractional anisotropyFMforceps minorFSSFatigue Severity ScaleHIT-6Headache Impact Test 6IFOFinferior fronto-occipital fasciculusmTBImild traumatic brain injuryRPQRivermead Post Concussion Symptoms QuestionnairePCSCPost-Concussion Syndrome ChecklistPHQPatient Health QuestionnairePPCSpersistent post-concussion symptomsQSMquantitative susceptibility mappingSLFsuperior longitudinal fasciculusSEstandard error