Quantitative MRI and 1H-MRS in Traumatic Brain Injury

描述(申请人提供)：轻度创伤性脑损伤(MTBI)，也被称为脑震荡，是一个主要的公共卫生问题，每年有近150万例，可导致包括脑震荡后综合征和慢性创伤性脑病在内的长期并发症。诸如此类的担忧让MTBI引起了公众的关注。我们小组和其他人的证据表明，即使是一个单一的脑震荡发作也会导致大脑的长期变化，这些变化可以通过磁共振成像(MRI)进行可视化。在动物和人类的研究中，脑铁受到高度调控，并且在创伤性脑损伤后被证明是异常的。虽然铁对许多正常的细胞过程是必不可少的，但它也与一些神经退行性疾病有关，因为它通过产生氧自由基对大脑造成毒性。与创伤性脑损伤相关的大脑中异常的铁可能是创伤与一系列与创伤有关的神经退行性疾病之间的联系，包括慢性创伤性脑病和阿尔茨海默病。我们建议使用MRI，包括一种名为磁场相关的新技术，在单个脑震荡发作后对活体中的局部脑铁进行量化，并跟踪脑铁随时间的变化。这个应用程序以翻译为重点，我们将研究它们之间的关系 脑铁与脑结构的长期变化之间的关系，以及脑铁在决定大脑功能变化和临床结果方面的预测价值。识别和了解继发性损伤，如异常脑铁引起的毒性，是关键的下一步 MTBI的研究。继发性损伤的级联反应可能被减缓或阻止，因此，是未来治疗发展的极好的潜在靶点。这项应用的主要长期目标是使用MRI检查脑铁在MTBI中的作用。如果成功，这项工作将为潜在的治疗开辟道路。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) also known as concussion is a major public health problem with close to 1.5 million cases a year that can result in long-term complications including Post-Concussive Syndrome and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Concerns such as these have brought MTBI to public attention. There is evidence from our group and others that even a single concussive episode can cause long-term changes in the brain that can be visualized by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Brain iron is highly regulated and has been shown to be abnormal after traumatic brain injury in both animal and human studies. Though iron is essential for a number of normal cellular processes, it is also implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders as causing toxicity to the brain via the production of oxygen free radicals. Abnormal iron in the brain associated with traumatic brain injury may be a link between trauma and a host of neurodegenerative conditions which have been associated with trauma, including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Alzheimer's Disease. We propose to use MRI, including a novel technique called Magnetic Field Correlation, to quantify regional brain iron in vivo after a single concussive episode and to follow changes in brain iron over time. This application has a translational focus and we will study the relationship between brain iron and long-term changes in brain structure as well as the predictive value of brain iron in determining functional changes in the brain and clinical outcome. Identifying and understanding secondary injury such as toxicity from abnormal brain iron is a critical next step in the study of MTBI. Secondary injury cascades can potentially be slowed or stopped and, as such, are excellent potential targets for future development of therapy. The primary long-term objective of this application is to examine the role of brain iron in MTBI using MRI. If successful this work would open up avenues for potential treatment.