MRI findings detail how a 'leaky' barrier can damage the brain years after head injuries
New MRI findings are providing updated insight into why people who have endured head trauma continue to face symptoms long after their initial recovery.
It may be because after a head injury, the blood brain barrier (BBB) never fully heals. Researchers with the Trinity and the FutureNeuro Research Ireland Center recently uncovered evidence on MRI brain scans that suggests the BBB can remain compromised following a head injury, even years after it first occurred. This allows inflammatory proteins to leak into the brain, which in turn paves the way for a buildup of tau—a protein known to be associated with cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Researchers conducted their study on a group of retired rugby players and boxers with a history of repetitive head impacts. They combined findings from that cohort with data obtained in post-mortem brain tissue analyses from athletes diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Each living participant underwent MRI scans focused specifically on BBB activity, as did a group of healthy controls with no history of playing contact sports.
Imaging revealed the BBBs of individuals from the athlete group to show significantly more signs of leakage compared to the controls (see main photo above), despite having retired from their sport more than a decade prior. This was even more evident among athletes who self-reported a history of serious concussions or frequent head impacts.
“Even years after retirement, retired athletes showed significant BBB disruption compared to age-matched controls,” noted Matthew Campbell, PhD, professor of neurovascular genetics and head of Trinity’s Genetics Department. “This suggests that the damage from head impacts is a chronic, ongoing process.”
Campbell and colleagues suggested that their findings highlight what could be a significant role for MR imaging in head trauma, signaling that it could help providers identify and treat the effects of head trauma before it progresses to the point of causing cognitive issues. This is promising, the group contends, as CTE can currently only be diagnosed post-mortem.
Read more about the work here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.