Diffusion tensor imaging reveals persistent microstructural alterations up to six month in an open-head traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a severe problem worldwide. The non-invasive investigation of the microstructural alterations is of significant benefit for early diagnosis and interventions. In this study, we applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to monitor the longitudinal microstructural changes in a controlled cortical impact rodent model of TBI from 2 hours and up to 6 months post-injury. Using DTI, we observe ongoing white matter changes following TBI, that initiate in corpus callosum and injury location at early timepoints and persists to exist up to 6 months, suggesting the temporal sensitivity of DTI to detect ongoing microstructural changes following TBI.