Therapeutic Resources for Attention Improvement With Neuroimaging for TBI (TRAIN-TBI)

Specific Aim 1: To use advanced functional neuroimaging methods to better understand the nature of attention disruption in patients who have sustained a TBI. We will use imaging data acquired at 3 Tesla (3T) for quantification of regional changes in brain volume over time. The microstructural integrity of white matter tracts will be assessed with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) from 3T will provide an understanding of the neural networks associated with the brain's baseline activity which may be correlated to cognitive health. We will also try to better understand attention processing in relation to time by employing magnetoencephalography (MEG). By overlaying MEG information on top of structural T1 and T2-weighted MRI sequences, we can get a better overall picture, in both spatial and temporal resolutions, of the brain cognitive tasks. MEG examination will include standard cognitive tasks that rely on intact attention and executive functioning, but are not directly trained by the attention training modules. This allows for assessment of the improvement in functional attention and the ability of training to generalize across related cognitive tasks. All imaging will be corroborated with neuropsychological and neurocognitive testing to assess whether or not abnormalities seen in the imaging are indicative of functionality.

Specific Aim 2: To measure the extent of improvement of patients' attention post cognitive training, and to better understand the processes and timelines that underlie the recovery of attention dysfunction. Comparing the pre- and post-training neurocognitive test results will measure the difference, if any, in attention capacity. These improvements will be correlated to respective advanced imaging. 3T MRI and MEG information from both before and after the cognitive training will be compared to look for any anatomical, functional, and connectivity changes.

Specific Aim 3: To determine which demographic factors (age, race, etc.) and clinical factors (medical history, severity of injury, etc.) contribute to attention impairment, if any. By collecting detailed clinical intake assessments from patients (and/or parents, if applicable) and medical records, as recommended the NIH Common Data Elements for TBI, we will be able to identify any epidemiological variables that significantly contribute to both 1) sustaining attention deficits post-TBI and 2) the propensity for recovery after successful completion of the cognitive training protocol.