Limbic metabolic abnormalities in remote traumatic brain injury and correlation with psychiatric morbidity and social functioning

• Published in: The journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 370 - 377
• Main Authors: Capizzano, Arístides A, Jorge, Ricardo E, Robinson, Robert G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.2010
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aspartic Acid - metabolism; Brain Diseases, Metabolic - epidemiology; Brain Diseases, Metabolic - etiology; Brain Diseases, Metabolic - pathology; Brain Injuries - complications; Brain Injuries - epidemiology; Brain Injuries - pathology; Brain Mapping; Case-Control Studies; Choline - metabolism; Female; Humans; Limbic System - metabolism; Limbic System - pathology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Male; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Social Adjustment; Statistics as Topic; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1545-7222; 0895-0172; 1545-7222
• DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.22.4.370

The aim of this study was to investigate limbic metabolic abnormalities in remote traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their psychiatric correlates. Twenty patients and 13 age-matched comparison subjects received complete psychiatric evaluation and brain MRI and MR spectroscopy at 3 Tesla. Patients had reduced NAA to creatine ratio in the left hippocampus relative to comparison subjects (mean=1.3 [SD=0.21] compared with mean=1.55 [SD=0.21]; F=10.73, df=1, 30, p=0.003), which correlated with the Social Functioning Examination scores (r(s)=-0.502, p=0.034). Furthermore, patients with mood disorders had reduced NAA to creatine ratio in the left cingulate relative to patients without mood disorders (1.47 compared with 1.68; F=3.393, df=3, 19, p=0.044). Remote TBI displays limbic metabolic abnormalities, which correlate to social outcome and psychiatric status.