MRI Markers of Outcome After Severe Pediatric TBI

Severe pediatric TBI results in a range of neurocognitive and behavioral deficits with
resultant impact on school performance, social functioning, and quality of life. Sixty
percent of children suffer from long-term functional impairments after severe TBI, and more
than 40% demonstrate deficits in multiple cognitive and psychological domains. Importantly, a
recent meta-analysis revealed that rather than catching up to their peers in these domains,
children with severe TBI fall further behind over time. These deficits in cognitive and
emotional function have a major impact on the child's quality of life after a TBI. A large
study recently reported that severe TBI patients demonstrated lower quality of life than
children undergoing active treatment for cancer. Considerable variation exists in the
severity of impairment within each cognitive domain from patient to patient, likely relating
to the mechanism of injury, the type and location of lesion, patient age, and pre-morbid
functioning among other factors. While clinical scales such as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
are useful for assessing injury severity and may provide general prognostic information, they
are insufficient to identify risk for specific cognitive deficits. Identifying predictors of
impairment within specific domains would aid in directing rehabilitation strategies towards
at-risk cognitive domains, thereby improving long-term function and quality of life.

The investigators are partnering with an ongoing pediatric TBI trial (ADAPT Trial: Approaches
and Decisions in Acute Pediatric TBI) and will also be enrolling past UW patients and healthy
controls. Consistency in timing of follow-up scans, large sample size and access to the ADAPT
Trial injury severity data and neuropsychological testing will give this study unprecedented
power to assess the relationship between early MRI findings and subsequent atrophy, white
matter injury, network connectivity changes and neurocognitive and behavioral impairments.

Inclusion Criteria:

Aim 1 Subjects:

- Children 0 through < 18 years of age

- Diagnosis of severe TBI (defined as a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score less than or
equal to 8)

- Had an intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor as part of standard care

Aims 2 & 3 Subjects:

- Children 9 through < 18 years of age with severe TBI

- Consent for a follow-up MRI within 10 years of the time of TBI

Controls:

- Healthy children greater than or equal to 9 and < 18 years of age.

Exclusion Criteria:

- TBI & controls:

- Anyone unable to tolerate a non-sedated MRI

Controls:

- Any history of head injury resulting in loss of consciousness

- Standard contraindications to MRI (metallic implants, implanted electronic devices,
pregnancy, etc.).