Predicting Cognitive and Emotional Health From Neurocircuitry Following TBI



Status:Recruiting
Conditions:Hospital, Neurology
Therapuetic Areas:Neurology, Other
Healthy:No
Age Range:20 - 45
Updated:7/28/2018
Start Date:February 2013
End Date:April 2019
Contact:Brittany Forbeck
Email:bforbeck@psychiatry.arizona.edu

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A Model for Predicting Cognitive and Emotional Health From Structural and Functional Neurocircuitry Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity between brain regions have been
suggested as putative biomarkers of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and significant
contributors to neuropsychological functioning and injury outcome. The purpose of this study
is to use two advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques called diffusion-weighted
imaging (DWI) and resting state functional MRI to compare structural and functional
connectivity between individuals with documented mild TBI and healthy controls. To evaluate
the significance of structural and functional connectivity for behavior, the brain imaging
data will then be related to measures of cognition and emotion. Over a 4-year period, 150
adults with documented mild TBI and 30 healthy controls will participate in the study.

The study will investigate the following questions and hypotheses:

1. Evaluate the DWI metric fractional anisotropy (FA) as a measure of white matter
integrity across multiple stages of recovery following mild TBI relative to healthy
controls. It is hypothesized that mild TBI will be associated with greater white matter
abnormalities than healthy controls.

2. It is hypothesized that there will be a relationship between FA, cognition and emotion
as a function of the injury.

3. It is hypothesized that functional connectivity will be related to FA.


Inclusion Criteria:

- English as first language

- Ability to provide informed consent

- For TBI group: documented TBI experienced within 12 months prior to testing.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Metal within the body, claustrophobia or other contraindications for MRI

- Complicating medical conditions that may influence the outcome of neuropsychological
assessment or neuroimaging (e.g., HIV, brain tumor, etc.)

- Less than 9th grade education

- History of alcoholism or substance use disorder

- Excess current alcohol use or illicit substance use

- for Healthy Controls (HC): life-time history of TBI or Axis I disorder

- Pregnancy (ruled out by urine β-HCG)

- Colorblindness

- for HC: Having participated in a sport with a high risk of concussive/subconcussive
blows for a period of at least 1 month including but not limited to: football, rugby,
boxing, ice hockey, wrestling, soccer, martial arts
We found this trial at
1
site
Tucson, Arizona 85724
Principal Investigator: William D Killgore, Ph.D.
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mi
from
Tucson, AZ
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