Gray matter volume changes in patients of post-concussion syndrome: a voxel-based morphometry study

Abstract

Objective To study the volume changes of gray matter in patients of post-concussion syndrome and discuss its clinical significance using functional magnetic resonance imaging and computer-aided graphics processing technology. Methods Twenty-three patients diagnosed of post-concussion syndrome following mild traumatic brain injury admitted to Department of Neurosurgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University from April 2015 to January 2016 were recruited as the test group. Twenty-five healthy subjects were recruited as the control group. All subjects underwent regular magnetic resonance scanning and high-resolution 3D-TI weighted examination with the same parameters. We built a brain structure network model, segmented grey and white matters, and analyzed the changes of gray matter volume with the method of voxel-based morphometry, intending to investigate the damaged cortical areas. Results Decreased gray matter volumes were found in areas including left inferior frontal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, right gyrus rectus, left operculum insulae and left putamen(all P<0.001), while increased gray matter volumes were not observed. Conclusion Changes of gray matter volume were demonstrated in patients with post-concussion syndrome, which may be related to the pathophysiological mechanism of its clinical symptoms. Key words: Post-concussion syndrome; Craniocerebral trauma; Magnetic resonance imaging; Voxel-based Morphometry