Longitudinal changes in brain metabolites following pediatric concussion

La, P. L. L., Walker, R., Bell, T. K., Craig, W., Doan, Q., Beauchamp, M. H., Zemek, R., Yeates, K. O., Harris, A. D., Yeates, K. O., Beauchamp, M. H., Bjornson, B. H., Gravel, J., Mikrogianakis, A., Goodyear, B., Abdeen, N., Beaulieu, C., Dehaes, M., Deschenes, S., Harris, A. D., Lebel, C., Lamont, R., Williamson, T., Barlow, K. M., Bernier, F., Brooks, B. L., Emery, C., Freedman, S. B., Kowalski, K., Mrklas, K., Tomfohr-Madsen, L. and Schneider, K. J. (2024) Longitudinal changes in brain metabolites following pediatric concussion. Scientific Reports, 14. 3242. ISSN 2045-2322 doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52744-7

Abstract/Summary

Concussion is commonly characterized by a cascade of neurometabolic changes following injury. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) can be used to quantify neurometabolites non-invasively. Longitudinal changes in neurometabolites have rarely been studied in pediatric concussion, and fewer studies consider symptoms. This study examines longitudinal changes of neurometabolites in pediatric concussion and associations between neurometabolites and symptom burden. Participants who presented with concussion or orthopedic injury (OI, comparison group) were recruited. The first timepoint for MRS data collection was at a mean of 12 days post-injury (n = 545). Participants were then randomized to 3 (n = 243) or 6 (n = 215) months for MRS follow-up. Parents completed symptom questionnaires to quantify somatic and cognitive symptoms at multiple timepoints following injury. There were no significant changes in neurometabolites over time in the concussion group and neurometabolite trajectories did not differ between asymptomatic concussion, symptomatic concussion, and OI groups. Cross-sectionally, Choline was significantly lower in those with persistent somatic symptoms compared to OI controls at 3 months post-injury. Lower Choline was also significantly associated with higher somatic symptoms. Although overall neurometabolites do not change over time, choline differences that appear at 3 months and is related to somatic symptoms.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/125524
Identification Number/DOI	10.1038/s41598-024-52744-7
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	No Reading authors. Back catalogue items Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology
Publisher	Nature
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