Multimodal Advanced Imaging for Concussion

Abstract

In the United States alone, 1.6 to 3.8 million people have sports-related concussions yearly. The patho-mechanisms of concussions may not be directly measured by conventional neuroimaging; advanced models may be needed to address the shortcomings of the current clinical protocols. Multimodal advanced imaging may provide more accurate diagnosis and predict the clinical course of concussion, assessing the efficacy of existing and emerging multifaceted therapies. In this article, the authors present an overview and pictorial display of conventional and advanced multimodal MR imaging methods that have been applied to identify the brain structures affected in traumatic brain injuries.

Keywords: Concussion; Cortical thickness; Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM); Kurtosis; Multimodal imaging; Quantitative MR imaging; Traumatic brain injury (TBI).