Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Concussion

Ivan I Kirov; Christopher T Whitlow; Carlos Zamora

doi:10.1016/j.nic.2017.09.007

Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Concussion

Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2018 Feb;28(1):91-105. doi: 10.1016/j.nic.2017.09.007. Epub 2017 Oct 27.

Authors

Ivan I Kirov¹, Christopher T Whitlow², Carlos Zamora³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, 660 First Avenue, 421, New York, NY 10016, USA.
² Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, Clinical Translational Sciences Institute, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-8011, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Translational Sciences Institute, Wake Forest School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27106, USA.
³ Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, CB 7510, 3327 Old Infirmary, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7510, USA. Electronic address: carlos_zamora@med.unc.edu.

PMID: 29157856
DOI: 10.1016/j.nic.2017.09.007

Abstract

Although susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) studies have suggested an increased number of microhemorrhages in concussion, most show no significant differences compared with controls. There have been mixed results on using SWI to predict neurologic outcomes. Drawbacks include inability to time microhemorrhages and difficulty in attributing them to the concussion. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in concussion can identify metabolic abnormalities, with many studies showing correlations with clinical outcome. Applications in individual patients are impeded by conflicting data and lack of consensus on an optimal protocol. Therefore, currently MRS has most utility in group-level comparisons designed to reveal the pathophysiology of concussion.

Keywords: Concussion; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS); Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); SWI; Susceptibility-weighted imaging.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain Concussion / diagnostic imaging*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods*