Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Feb 14;9(1):10.
doi: 10.3390/medsci9010010.

Emerging Utility of Applied Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury

Jeffrey Nadel  1 , Joseph Scott McNally  2 , Anthony DiGiorgio  3 , Ramesh Grandhi  1
Affiliations
Review

Emerging Utility of Applied Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury

Jeffrey Nadel et al. Med Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a widespread and expensive problem globally. The standard diagnostic workup for new TBI includes obtaining a noncontrast computed tomography image of the head, which provides quick information on operative pathologies. However, given the limited sensitivity of computed tomography for identifying subtle but meaningful changes in the brain, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown better utility for ongoing management and prognostication after TBI. In recent years, advanced applications of MRI have been further studied and are being implemented as clinical tools to help guide care. These include functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, MR perfusion, and MR spectroscopy. In this review, we discuss the scientific basis of each of the above techniques, the literature supporting their use in TBI, and how they may be clinically implemented to improve the care of TBI patients.

Keywords: MR perfusion; MR spectroscopy; diffusion tensor imaging; functional MRI; magnetic resonance imaging; traumatic brain injury.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Noncontrast computed tomography (CT) of the head (top row) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the brain (bottom row) of the same patient after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Imaging markers of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) include microhemorrhages on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) as well as focal areas of cytotoxic edema on DWI (arrows) that are not visible on CT.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. James S.L., Theadom A., Ellenbogen R.G., Bannick M.S., Montjoy-Venning W., Lucchesi L.R., Abbasi N., Abdulkader R., Abraha H.N., Adsuar J.C., et al. Global, regional, and national burden of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2019;18:56–87. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30415-0. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Vos T., Abajobir A.A., Abate K.H., Abbafati C., Abbas K.M., Abd-Allah F., Abdulkader R.S., Abdulle A.M., Abebo T.A., Abera S.F., et al. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet. 2017;390:1211–1259. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32154-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Teasdale G., Jennett B. Assessment of coma and impaired consciousness: A practical scale. Lancet. 1974;304:81–84. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(74)91639-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shetty V.S., Reis M.N., Aulino J.M., Berger K.L., Broder J., Choudhri A.F., Kendi A.T., Kessler M.M., Kirsch C.F., Luttrull M.D., et al. ACR Appropriateness Criteria Head Trauma. J. Am. Coll. Radiol. 2016;13:668–679. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2016.02.023. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mutch C.A., Talbott J., Gean A. Imaging Evaluation of Acute Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurosurg. Clin. N. Am. 2016;27:409–439. doi: 10.1016/j.nec.2016.05.011. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms