MRI-T2 Relaxometry is Increased in Sports-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Potential Marker of Brain Inflammation

Abstract

AbstractIntroMild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common condition, particularly pervasive in contact sports environments. A range of symptoms can accompany this type of injury and negatively impact people’s lives. As mTBI diagnosis and recovery largely rely on subjective reports, more objective injury markers are needed.MethodsThe current study compared structural brain MRI-T2 relaxometry between a group of 40 athletes with mTBI within 14 days of injury and 40 age and sex-matched controls.ResultsWhole-brain average T2 relaxometry increased for the mTBI group compared to controls (p< 0.001), with increased T2 relaxometry particularly prominent in superior cortical regions (e.g. somatomotor and dorsal attention areas).ConclusionWe hypothesise that this finding indicates subtle brain inflammation acutely following mTBI and could represent an objective injury marker to diagnose and monitor mTBI. Future research should validate this potential injury marker with other data types, such as blood biomarkers or histological samples.