Cognitive sequelae of diffuse axonal injury.

BACKGROUND: The results of recent studies on cognitive disability after traumatic brain injury-associated diffuse axonal injury (DAI) are inconsistent. In these studies, the diagnosis of DAI relied on cranial computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To further clarify the extent and severity of a possibly DAI-associated cognitive impairment by the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and detailed neuropsychological testing.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: From a databank of 299 patients with traumatic brain injury, 18 patients (age range, 17-50 years; median initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, 5) who showed an MRI lesion pattern compatible with pure DAI were identified. All of the patients had undergone MRI on a 3-T system. Pure DAI was defined by the findings of traumatic microbleeds on T2*-weighted gradient-echo images in the absence of otherwise traumatic or nontraumatic MRI abnormalities.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Neuropsychological performance in the categories of attention and psychomotor speed, executive functions, spans, learning and memory, and intelligence 4 to 55 months (median, 9 months) after traumatic brain injury.

RESULTS: All of the patients showed impairments of 1 or more cognitive subfunctions, and no cognitive domain was fundamentally spared. Memory and executive dysfunctions were most frequent, the former reaching a moderate to severe degree in half of the patients. In comparison, deficits of attention, executive functions, and short-term memory were mostly mild. Correlations between the amount of traumatic microbleeds and specific or global cognitive performance were absent.

CONCLUSIONS: An MRI lesion pattern compatible with isolated DAI is associated with persistent cognitive impairment. The traumatic microbleed load is no sufficient parameter for the assessment of DAI severity or functional outcome.