Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for almost 80% of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Approximately 20%–30% of all patients experience some degree of somatic, neurologic and psychologic problem following mTBI, including executive functions, memory, attention, language deficits and so on. However, no obvious abnormalities can be detected by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods and neuropsychological testing at the acute stage, thus leading to the underestimation of mTBI and substantial disabilities in their lives and social interactions. Therefore, potential non-invasive, advanced MRI methods that can contribute to the prediction of neural dysfunction in patients with mTBI at the acute stage are in demand.
Recent brain imaging studies using multimodal MRI, including resting-state functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), arterial spin labelling (ASL), MR spectroscopy, etc. have revealed plenty of functional and structural changes in the central nervous system associated with mTBI. From these studies, a number of key concepts have emerged linking mTBI to decreased spontaneous neuronal activity and neural circuits, altered structural and functional network topology, abnormal static and dynamic functional network connectivity, and aberrant activity in regions of the brain associated with executive function, attention, emotion, and memory. Furthermore, with respect to mTBI, previous neuroimaging studies have shown abnormal patterns of activity within the default-mode network (DMN), as well as other resting-state networks, including the motor and fronto-parietal networks. The present Research Topic will accept contributions which attempt to improve the assessment, understanding, and validation of the brain networks using multimodal functional neuroimaging in mTBI in human or animal studies.
In this Research Topic, we invite some of the world’s leading brain imaging experts to produce a series of state-of-the-art reviews and groundbreaking research dealing with mTBI in humans and animal models. More specifically, submissions may be related to (but not limited to) the following topics:
- Novel approaches that use multimodal neuroimaging technique to detect early brain abnormalities in patients with mTBI
- Exploration of early brain abnormalities and neural mechanism in mTBI animal model by combining multimodal neuroimaging technique with pathological detection
- Application of novel brain acquisition or analysis methodologies, such as radiomics, deep learning, assess and validate the neuroimaging biomarker to study mTBI
Keywords: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, FMRI, DTI, Neuroimage, Biomarker
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
