A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Grey Matter Volumetric Changes in Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is currently a problematic issue of public health due to its frequency, and many of the mild cases often remain undiagnosed despite the possible predisposition to prolonged or persistent post-concussive symptomatology. It was shown here that the severity and persistence of grey matter (GM) changes following TBI could predict disease outcomes. Our aim was to conduct a voxel-wise meta-analysis to detect significant GM changes following mild TBI (mTBI) and to investigate whether these changes are associated with the duration and severity of post-concussion syndrome (PCS). A voxel-wise meta-analysis was conducted regarding the GM and white matter (WM) changes in mTBI adult patients versus healthy controls, and Seed-based d Mapping was used to correlate the data. Standard meta-analysis statistical processing was used to assess heterogeneity and publication bias. Our analysis showed significant GM volume increases in the left medial cingulate/paracingulate gyri, the middle frontal gyrus, and the right caudate nucleus of the mTBI patients and significant volume loss in the thalamus, the frontal lobe, and the temporal lobe. These changes could potentially be associated with PCS that some mTBI later patients develop as a result to the injury or other compensatory changes. Additional studies considering long-term GM changes in mTBI patients and their potential relationship to PCS could provide further insight into the pathophysiological similarities and correlations between mTBI and PCS.

Exploring the Potential of Exosomal Biomarkers in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Concussion Syndrome: A Systematic Review

“…Our previous studies described persistent PCS symptoms and their implication in patients' recovery following an mTBI event [28]. Also, we found that the persistent symptomatology could be associated with brain volumetric changes and long-term brain molecular imbalance [29]. However, there might be suggestive molecular changes that could be addressing a certain window in time following a traumatic event [30].…”

Do “Ten simple rules for neuroimaging meta-analysis” receive equal attention and accurate quotation? An examination on the quotations to an influential neuroimaging meta-analysis guideline

“… 2 “ The meta -analysis was carried out using the SDM software package (Seed-based d Mapping software, version 6.21 for 64-bit Windows PC) [13,14,15]. ” From ( Mavroudis et al, 2022 ). The SDM software was not introduced by ( Müller et al, 2018 ).…”

The Effect of Craniofacial Manual Lymphatic Drainage after Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

“…We also identified that the age difference between the subjects could have affected the normal recovery of clinical outcomes; in addition, patients with moderate TBI can have extremely variable recovery trajectories, and comparing one patient to another was very limited. In this sense, there is evidence showing that the gray matter volumetric in TBI presents diffusely between different areas of the brain [43]. Thus, it was not possible to consider one of the patients as a control subject.…”