Longitudinal Changes in Surface-Based Morphometry of U.S. Military Personnel Following Mild Blast-Related Traumatic Brain Injury: A Preliminary Study

Kihwan Han¹, Christine L. Mac Donald¹, David L. Brody¹

A longitudinal, morphological study on U.S. military personnel following concussive blast-related TBI was performed to identify subtle structural changes of these patients over time. 27 active duty U.S. military personnel (18 controls and 9 concussive TBI patients) with blast exposures were analyzed. The initial scans were acquired within 1-90 days after the blast exposures, and the follow-up scans after 6-12 months from the initial scans. Greater longitudinal changes in cortical thickness, metric distortion and pial surface of the TBI patients relative to the controls were observed. Further studies with more subjects are required to validate these findings.