A model for estimating the brainstem volume in normal healthy individuals and its application to diffuse axonal injury patients.

Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a subtype of traumatic brain injury that causes acute-phase consciousness disorders and widespread chronic-phase brain atrophy. Considering the importance of brainstem damage in DAI, a valid method for evaluating brainstem volume is required. We obtained volume measurements from 182 healthy adults by analyzing T1-weighted magnetic resonance images, and created an age-/sex-/intracranial volume-based quantitative model to estimate the normal healthy volume of the brainstem and cerebrum.

Combining Multiple Indices of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Can Better Differentiate Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury from Healthy Subjects.

Aim: Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is one of the most common pathological features of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices can be used to identify and quantify white matter microstructural changes following DAI. Recently, many studies have used DTI with various machine learning approaches to predict white matter microstructural changes following TBI.

Extracting Apathy From Depression Syndrome in Traumatic Brain Injury by Using a Clustering Method.

Objective: Depression and apathy are common after traumatic brain injury (TBI), and different intervention strategies are recommended for each. However, a differential diagnosis can be difficult in clinical settings, especially given that apathy is considered to be a symptom of depression. In this study, the investigators aimed to isolate apathy from depression among patients with TBI and to examine whether apathy is exclusively associated with the amount of daily activity, as previously reported in the literature.

[Brodmann Areas 11, 46, and 47: Emotion, Memory, and Empathy].

Brodmann area 11 is one of the main constituent of the orbitofrontal cortex, and area 46 is that of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The main function of Brodmann area 11 is the processing of emotion and value, whereas the main function of Brodmann area 46 is the processing of cognitive information, including working memory. In comparison, the function of area 47 is more complex.