N-Acetyl-Aspartate in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Long After Concussion in Youth. Issue 2 (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: MacMaster, Frank P.; McLellan, Quinn; Harris, Ashley D.; Virani, Shane; Barlow, Karen M.; Langevin, Lisa Marie; Yeates, Keith Owen; Brooks, Brian L.
• Is Part Of: Journal of head trauma rehabilitation. Volume 35:Issue 2(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: brain injury -- chronic -- concussion -- magnetic resonance spectroscopy -- youth; Brain damage -- Patients -- Rehabilitation -- Periodicals; Brain damage -- Periodicals; 617.4810443
• DOI: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000535
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0885-9701

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: Despite increasing interest in the neurobiological effects of concussion in youth, a paucity of information is available regarding outcomes long after injury. The objective of this study was to determine the association between a history of concussion and the putative neuronal marker N -acetyl-aspartate (NAA) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in youth. Setting: Outpatient clinic in a children's hospital. Participants: Youth with concussion ( N = 35, mean = 2.63, SD = 1.07 years postinjury) and youth with a nonconcussive orthopedic injury ( N = 17) participated. Design: A cross-sectional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) study. Main Measures: The primary outcome measure was NAA concentration in the right and left DLPFCs. Results: We observed lower levels of NAA in the right DLPFC in youth with past concussion ( F = 3.31, df = 4, 51, P = .018) than in orthopedic controls but not in the left DLPFC ( F = 2.04, df = 4, 51, P = .105). The effect of lower NAA concentrations in the right DLPFC was primarily driven by youth with a single prior concussion versus those with multiple concussions. NAA in the left DLPFC, but not in right DLPFC, was associated with worse emotional symptoms in youth with concussion. Conclusion: The presence of lower levels of DLPFC NAA suggests potential association of concussion in youth, although further investigation is needed, given that the result is driven by those with a single (and not multiple) concussion. Exploration of applying MRS in other brain regions is also warranted.