“Current methods for assessing an individual ’ s outlook following head injury are not good enough , but using DTI — which , in theory , should be possible for any center with an MRI scanner — can help us make much more accurate assessments . ”
Issue 33.4 FALL 2024 out of 100 that a patient would have a poorer outcome , DTI increased this to 82 cases out of 100 .
The researchers also looked at blood biomarkers — proteins released into the blood as a result of head injury — to see whether any of these could improve the accuracy of the prognosis . Although the biomarkers alone were not sufficient , concentrations of two particular proteins — glial fibrillary acidic protein ( GFAP ) within the first 12 hours and neurofilament light ( NFL ) between 12- and 24-hours following injury — were useful in identifying those patients who might benefit from a DTI scan .
Dr . Newcombe said , “ Concussion is the number one neurological condition to affect adults , but health services don ’ t have the resources to routinely bring back every patient for a follow-up , which is why we need a way of identifying those patients at greatest risk of persistent symptoms .
“ Current methods for assessing an individual ’ s outlook following head injury are not good enough , but using DTI — which , in theory , should be possible for any center with an MRI scanner — can help us make much more accurate assessments . Given that symptoms of concussion can have a significant impact on an individual ’ s life , this is urgently needed .”
The team plans to look in greater detail at blood biomarkers , to see if they can identify new ways to provide even simpler , more practical predictors . They will also be exploring ways to bring DTI into clinical practice .
Dr . Sophie Richter , a NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Emergency Medicine and first author , Cambridge , added , “ We want to see if there is a way to integrate the different types of information obtained when a patient presents at hospital with brain injury — symptoms assessment , blood tests and brain scans , for example — to improve our assessment of a patient ’ s injury and prognosis .” g
“Current methods for assessing an individual ’ s outlook following head injury are not good enough , but using DTI — which , in theory , should be possible for any center with an MRI scanner — can help us make much more accurate assessments . ”
Diffusion Tensor Imaging MRI
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