Erik B. Beall1, Stephen M. Rao2, Micheal D. Phillips1, Mark J. Lowe1
1Radiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States; 2Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a heterogeneous neurologic disorder. Past research has provided hints that blast-induced TBI represents a distinct clinical subtype, with a distinct injury mechanism causing more widespread and more homogeneous diffuse axonal injury. We compare primary motor cortex functional connectivity in blast-related and non blast-related mild to moderate TBI participants and controls with an orthopedic injury. We find that in blast-TBI participants, subcortical medial thalamic connectivity to primary motor cortex is specifically increased compared to non blast-TBI participants.