Relationships Between Subcortical Shape Measures and Subjective Symptom Reporting in US Service Members With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Jacob D Bolzenius, Benjamin S C Wade, Carmen S Velez and 12 others
PMID 29517591WHAT IT FOUND
In 135 service members, deep brain volume did not track symptoms, but surface shape measures of the right thalamus and globus pallidus showed opposite patterns between mild TBI and orthopedic injury groups.
These links are not diagnostic or causal.
Key findings
01No subcortical volume relationship with symptom reporting survived multiple-comparison correction.
02PTSD symptom scores showed significant shape interactions in the right globus pallidus and right thalamus.
03Post-concussive symptom scores showed significant shape interactions in the right globus pallidus.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that brain shape differences caused symptoms or that symptoms changed shape over time. The mild TBI and orthopedic injury groups were not matched on age and education, and the control group may itself have injury-related brain changes. Shape measures are not established for clinical use, and greater thickness does not necessarily mean a better outcome. The sample was mostly male, English-speaking U.S. Service Members, and excluded people with moderate to severe TBI, some neurological or psychiatric conditions, and scheduled narcotic use. The authors say the post-concussive symptom pattern may need replication.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The article is listed as supported by U.S. government, non-PHS research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these MRI shape measures as a test for mild TBI or as proof that brain shape explains symptoms. The study is cross-sectional, the measures are unestablished, and the direction of shape changes does not have known clinical meaning.