Quantitative MRI T2 Relaxometry and Physical Activity in Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Exploration of the Measurement and Modification of Potential Neuroinflammation
type: CreativeWork
description: Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) account for approximately 90% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and are often associated with prolonged symptoms and functional impairments. Despite their prevalence and significant physical, psychosocial and financial impact, the underlying pathophysiology and factors influencing recovery remain poorly understood. mTBI typically results from a sudden impact, acceleration, deceleration, or rotational force, triggering a cascade of secondary injuries. A key component of this cascade is neuroinflammation, which, while initially protective, can lead to chronic deficits and neurodegeneration if prolonged or excessive. Despite the known role of inflammation in brain injury, significant gaps remain in understanding its influence on recovery and how it might be modulated. This thesis aims to address these gaps by investigating a method for measuring potential neuroinflammation and exploring a behavioural approach to modifying it. Forty male athletes (aged 16-35 years) were recruited within 14 days of sports-related mTBI, along with 52 age and sex-matched controls. T2-weighted MRI data were collected using a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) spin-echo sequence. Preprocessing included brain extraction, normalisation, smoothing, and grey matter masking. T2 relaxation times were estimated at each voxel using a monoexponential model in qMRLab. Participants also wore Axivity AX3 wrist accelerometers continuously for 15 days to capture physical activity data. Physical activity data were analysed using the GGIR, compositions and deltacomp packages in R. The thesis comprises three studies. Studies 1 and 2 assess the utility of MRI T2 relaxometry as a marker of neuroinflammation. Study 1 used a case series approach, statistically comparing individual mTBI participants to the control group via z-tests and voxel-wise z-maps. Results showed elevated T2 relaxation times in acute mTBI, with unique regional patterns per individual and follow-up scan…
abstract: Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) account for approximately 90% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and are often associated with prolonged symptoms and functional impairments. Despite their prevalence and significant physical, psychosocial and financial impact, the underlying pathophysiology and factors influencing recovery remain poorly understood. mTBI typically results from a sudden impact, acceleration, deceleration, or rotational force, triggering a cascade of secondary injuries. A key component of this cascade is neuroinflammation, which, while initially protective, can lead to chronic deficits and neurodegeneration if prolonged or excessive. Despite the known role of inflammation in brain injury, significant gaps remain in understanding its influence on recovery and how it might be modulated. This thesis aims to address these gaps by investigating a method for measuring potential neuroinflammation and exploring a behavioural approach to modifying it. Forty male athletes (aged 16-35 years) were recruited within 14 days of sports-related mTBI, along with 52 age and sex-matched controls. T2-weighted MRI data were collected using a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) spin-echo sequence. Preprocessing included brain extraction, normalisation, smoothing, and grey matter masking. T2 relaxation times were estimated at each voxel using a monoexponential model in qMRLab. Participants also wore Axivity AX3 wrist accelerometers continuously for 15 days to capture physical activity data. Physical activity data were analysed using the GGIR, compositions and deltacomp packages in R. The thesis comprises three studies. Studies 1 and 2 assess the utility of MRI T2 relaxometry as a marker of neuroinflammation. Study 1 used a case series approach, statistically comparing individual mTBI participants to the control group via z-tests and voxel-wise z-maps. Results showed elevated T2 relaxation times in acute mTBI, with unique regional patterns per individual and follow-up scan…
author: Bedggood, Mayan
date published: 2025
date modified: 2026-07-27T18:46:06Z
provider: AUT University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: AUT University