A common neural signature of brain injury in concussion and subconcussion

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Adnan Hirad, University of Rochester; Jeffrey J. Bazarian, University of Rochester; Kian Merchant-Borna, University of Rochester; Frank E. Garcea, University of Rochester; Sarah Heilbronner, University of Rochester; David Paul, University of Rochester; Eric Hintz, San Antonio Military Medical Center; Edwin van Wijngaarden, University of Rochester; Giovanni Schifitto, University of Rochester; David Wright, Emory University; Tamara Espinoza, Emory University; Bradford Z. Mahon, University of Rochester
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-08-01
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2019 The Authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau3460
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Science Advances
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: eaau3460
• End Page: eaau3460
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was supported by funds from the NFL Charities (www.nflcharities-org.ezpminer.urmc.rochester.edu/) and NIH K24 HD064754 to J.J.B., National Institute of Nursing Research Intramural Research Program, U.S. Army Rapid Innovation Fund (W911NF- 11-R-0017) to D.W.W., NIH grant R01 MH099921 to G.S., and NIH grants R21NS076176, R01NS089609, and R01EY028535 to B.Z.M
• Keywords: Multidisciplinary Sciences; PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL; HEAD IMPACTS; PLAYER; COMA; Science & Technology; AXONAL INJURY; CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY; Science & Technology - Other Topics; WHITE-MATTER; DAMAGE
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

The midbrain is biomechanically susceptible to force loading from repetitive subconcussive head impacts (RSHI), is a site of tauopathy in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and regulates functions (e.g., eye movements) often disrupted in concussion. In a prospective longitudinal design, we demonstrate there are reductions in midbrain white matter integrity due to a single season of collegiate football, and that the amount of reduction in midbrain white matter integrity is related to the amount of rotational acceleration to which players’ brains are exposed. We then replicate the observation of reduced midbrain white matter integrity in a retrospective cohort of individuals with frank concussion, and further show that variance in white matter integrity is correlated with levels of serum-based tau, a marker of blood-brain barrier disruption. These findings mean that noninvasive structural MRI of the midbrain is a succinct index of both clinically silent white matter injury as well as frank concussion.