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The Challenge of Managing Patients Suffering from TBI: The Utility of Multiparametric MRI
- John L. Sherman, Laurence J. Adams, Christen F. Kutz, Deborah York, Mitchell S. Szymczak
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- Journal:
- CNS Spectrums / Volume 26 / Issue 2 / April 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 May 2021, pp. 178-179
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex phenomenon affecting multiple areas of the brain in multiple ways. Both right and left hemispheres are affected as well as supratentorial and infratentorial compartments. These multifocal injuries are caused by many factors including acute mechanical injury, focal intracranial hemorrhage, blunt and rotational forces, epidural and subdural hematoma, hypoxemia, hypotension, edema, axonal damage, neuronal death, gliosis and blood brain barrier disruption. Clinicians and patients benefit by precise information about the neuroanatomical areas that are affected macroscopically, microscopically and biochemically in an individual patient.
Standard imaging studies are frequently negative or grossly underestimate the severity of TBI and may exacerbate and prolong patient suffering with an imaging result of “no significant abnormality”. Specifically, sophisticated imaging tools have been developed which reveal significant damage to the brain structure including atrophy, MRI spectroscopy showing variations in neuronal metabolite N-acetyl-aspartate, elevations of membrane related Choline, and the glial metabolite myo-inositol is often observed to be increased post injury. In addition, susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) has been shown to be more reliable for detecting microbleeds versus calcifications.
We have selected two TBI patients with diffuse traumatic brain injury.
The first patient is a 43-year-old male who suffered severe traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident in 2016. Following the accident, the patient was diagnosed with seizures, major depression, and intermittent explosive disorder. He has attempted suicide and has neurobehavioral disinhibition including severe anger, agitation and irritability. He denies psychiatric history prior to TBI and has negative family history. Following the TBI, he became physically aggressive and assaultive in public with minimal provocation. He denies symptoms of thought disorder and mania. He is negative for symptoms of cognitive decline or encephalopathy.
The second patient is a 49-year-old male who suffered at least 3 concussive blasts in the Army and a parachute injury. Following the last accident, the patient was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, panic disorder, PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder. He denies any psychiatric history prior to TBI including negative family history of psychiatric illness. In addition, he now suffers from nervousness, irritability, anger, emotional lability and concurrent concentration issues, problems completing tasks and alterations in memory.
Both patients underwent 1.5T multiparametric MRI using standard T2, FLAIR, DWI and T1 sequences, and specialized sequences including susceptibility weighted (SWAN/SWI), 3D FLAIR, single voxel MRI spectroscopy (MRS), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), arterial spin labeling perfusion (ASL) and volumetric MRI (NeuroQuant). Importantly, this exam can be performed in 30–45 minutes and requires no injections other than gadolinium in some patients. We will discuss the insights derived from the MRI which detail the injured areas, validate the severity of the brain damage, and provide insight into the psychological, motivational and physical disabilities that afflict these patients. It is our expectation that this kind of imaging study will grow in value as we link specific patterns of injury to specific symptoms and syndromes resulting in more targeted therapies in the future.
A Multiparametric MRI Protocol for Evaluation of Cognitive Insufficiency, Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A Case Series
- John L. Sherman, Christen F. Kutz, Mitchell S. Szymczak, Deborah York, Laurence J. Adams
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- Journal:
- CNS Spectrums / Volume 26 / Issue 2 / April 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 May 2021, p. 179
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- Export citation
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Background
The purpose of this work was to determine the extent to which a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach to patients with dementia and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI) can help to determine the most likely diagnosis and the prognosis of these patients.
ObjectiveVolumetric brain MRI alone is recognized as a useful imaging tool to differentiate behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) from the more common Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Our objective is to create a protocol that will provide additional non-standard, objective imaging data that can be utilized clinically to distinguish common and uncommon forms of dementia and TBI. As patients with these diseases are increasingly presenting to clinical practice, our ability to combine multiple parameters within the standard 30-minute or 45-minute (pre- and post-contrast) MRI exams has high potential to affect current and future clinical practice.
MethodsAll MRI studies were performed on 1.5 T MRI GE 450w or GE HDx imagers. All patients were seen clinically in outpatient practices. All techniques are FDA approved. The 30 minute protocol utilized T2w FSE 3 mm, 2.5 mm SWAN, 3D T1 sagittal 1.2 mm, DWI 5 mm, 3D FLAIR 1.2 mm, 2.5 mm SWAN (susceptibility sensitive), 3D T1 sagittal 1.2 mm, arterial spin labeling perfusion, posterior cingulate single voxel PRESS MR spectroscopy and NeuroQuant automated volumetric analysis and LesionQuant automated lesion detection and measurement. The 45-minute TBI protocol added diffusion tensor imaging, MR spectroscopy (MRS) of normal appearing frontal white matter and 3D gadolinium enhanced technique.
ResultsThe combination of multiparametric data together with standard imaging and clinical information allowed radiologic interpretation that was able to focus on 1–2 specific diagnoses and to indicate those patients in which a combination of pathologies was most likely. Neurologists, gerontologists, neuropsychologists and psychiatric specialists used these data and our summary conclusions to develop more specific diagnoses, treatments and prognoses.
ConclusionsReadily available MRI techniques can be added to standard imaging to markedly improve the usefulness of the radiologic opinion in cases of subjective cognitive insufficiency, clinical mild cognitive insufficiency, behavioral pathologies, dementia and post-traumatic brain syndromes.