Quantitative functional magnetic resonance imaging for the management of brain injuries

在加拿大，创伤性闭合性脑损伤是一个巨大的问题，而且在其他方面健康的人中，通常是年轻人。 临床证据表明，即使是脑震荡，最轻微的形式，也可以导致残疾，因为 在受伤后持续很长时间的症状。传统的脑成像方法既不能用来：1)帮助确定 预后(结果)；或2)做出重返岗位或上场比赛的决定。我们建议使用定量功能磁共振成像(QfMRI)a 新的、非侵入性的方法来研究大脑生理学的关键方面，寻找脑震荡患者损伤的生物标志物， 并研究这些标记如何随着时间的推移而变化。然后，可以使用这些标记来测量和监控 脑损伤，并监测治疗效果，以期减少情绪变化等长期影响， 注意力障碍、记忆力减退和大脑退行性疾病。

Traumatic closed-head brain injury is a large and growing problem among otherwise healthy, often young, people in Canada. Clinical evidence shows that even concussion, TBIs mildest form, can result in disability because of the development of symptoms that last long after the injury. Conventional brain imaging methods cannot be used either to: 1) aid in determining prognosis (outcome); or 2) make return-to-duty or -play decisions. We propose to use quantitative functional MRI (qfMRI) a new, non-invasive way to study key aspects of brain physiology, to look for biomarkers of injury in concussed individuals, and examine how these markers change over time. These markers can then be used to gauge and monitor the extent of brain injury, and monitor the efficacy of treatment, with the hope of reducing long-term effects such as emotional changes, attentional difficulties, memory loss, and degenerative diseases of the brain.