Project Type
independent
Project Start Date
01/30/2008
Project End Date
09/30/2012
Target Population(s)
50 normal controls and 100 TBI patients ages greater than 16 years

The hypothesis of this project is that a novel imaging technique, Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DTI), Resting State fMRI, and Susceptibility Weighted Imaging may be more reliable indicators of Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) than standard structural MRI. Being able to identify specific subtypes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) may facilitate the design of clinical trials by stratifying patients more likely to respond to a given therapy and may be useful as a surrogate outcome measure. DTI, fMRI, and Susceptibility Weighted Imaging will be acquired while subjects are resting. Total time to complete each MRI will be about an hour or less. At no stage of the study will IV’s, shots or injections, restraints be required. All research-related MRI studies will be performed, analyzed, and interpreted at no cost to the subject. Research-related MRI’s will not be made available to the patient’s treating physician unless requested by the patient, if the sole reason for doing the MRI is for research. In some cases, sequences will be added on at the end of a clinically-indicated MRI study.