Structural neuroimaging in mild traumatic brain injury: A chronic effects of neurotrauma consortium study

• Published in: International journal of methods in psychiatric research Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. e1781 - n/a
• Main Authors: Bigler, Erin D., Abildskov, Tracy J., Eggleston, Barry, Taylor, Brian A., Tate, David F., Petrie, Jo Ann, Newsome, Mary R., Scheibel, Randall S., Levin, Harvey, Walker, William C., Goodrich‐Hunsaker, Naomi, Tustison, Nicholas J., Stone, James R., Mayer, Andrew R., Duncan, Timothy D., York, Gerry E., Wilde, Elisabeth A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.09.2019; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adult; automated image analysis; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain Concussion - diagnostic imaging; Chronic Disease; Chronic effects; cognitive assessment; Cohort Studies; Consortia; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Middle Aged; mild traumatic brain injury; Neuroimaging; neuroimaging quantification; Original; Quality assurance; Traumatic brain injury; veterans; Iraq; automated image analysis; veterans; cognitive assessment; neuroimaging quantification; mild traumatic brain injury
• ISSN: 1049-8931; 1557-0657; 1557-0657
• DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1781

Objectives The chronic effects of neurotrauma consortium (CENC) observational study is a multisite investigation designed to examine the long‐term longitudinal effects of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). All participants in this initial CENC cohort had a history of deployment in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq), and/or their follow‐on conflicts (Operation Freedom's Sentinel). All participants undergo extensive medical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging assessments and either meet criteria for any lifetime mTBI or not. These assessments are integrated into six CENC core studies—Biorepository, Biostatistics, Data and Study Management, Neuroimaging, and Neuropathology. Methods The current study outlines the quantitative neuroimaging methods managed by the Neuroimaging Core using FreeSurfer automated software for image quantification. Results At this writing, 319 participants from the CENC observational study have completed all baseline assessments including the imaging protocol and tertiary data quality assurance procedures. Conclusions/Discussion The preliminary findings of this initial cohort are reported to describe how the Neuroimaging Core manages neuroimaging quantification for CENC studies.