Traumatic pediatric white matter injury

Article type: Review Article

Authors: Palasis, Susan^;

Affiliations: Department of Radiology, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, Atlanta, GA, USA

Note: [] Address for correspondence: Susan Palasis, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, Department of Radiology, 1001 Johnson Ferry Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30342, USA. Tel.: +1 404 785 3468; E-mail: spalasis@yahoo.com.

Abstract: White matter (WM) injury is increasingly recognized as central to the impact on the quality of life of patients with all severity levels of traumatic brain injury. It can be the determinant of death or persistent disability. This article reviews the characteristics of the developing brain in relation to trauma, the primary and secondary phases of WM injury, and advanced magnetic resonance techniques in the evaluation of brain trauma. Special emphasis is placed on non-accidental trauma and sports-related WM injury, respectively.

Keywords: Diffuse axonal injury, non-accidental trauma, sports-related white matter injury, diffusion tensor imaging, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

DOI: 10.3233/PNR-13049

Journal: Journal of Pediatric Neuroradiology, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 87-96, 2013