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Ashley Robb Swan. 1 Research Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California. 3 Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Sharon Nichols. 4 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Angela Drake. 5 Department of Community Health, National University, San Diego, California.
AnneMarie Angeles. 1 Research Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California. 3 Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Mithun Diwakar. 3 Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Tao Song. 3 Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Roland R. Lee. 1 Research Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California. 2 Radiology Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California. 3 Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Ming-Xiong Huang. 1 Research Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California. 2 Radiology Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California. 3 Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Address correspondence to: Ming-Xiong Huang, PhD, Radiology Imaging Laboratory, University of California San Diego, 3510 Dunhill Street, San Diego, CA 92121, E-mail: [email protected]
Introduction
Over 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are reported in the United States every year, making TBI a significant public health concern.1,2 TBI is graded by severity based on initial injury variables, such as loss of consciousness. Severity of brain injuries range from mild to severe, although 75-80% of TBIs treated in hospitals are classified as mild. Given that many individuals with mild injuries do not seek immediate medical care, incidence of mild TBI (mTBI) may be much higher.3 The cause of mTBI among civilians is varied and includes motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), sport-related injuries, falls, and assaults. Blast exposure represents an additional cause of mTBI among U.S. troops in combat as part of ongoing military operations in the Middle East. Large-scale postdeployment surveys have consistently reported that 15-20% of service members may have suffered an mTBI during deployment, the majority related to blast exposure.4,5
Although studies have indicated that acute symptoms of mTBI resolve rapidly in most patients, some individuals with mTBI continue to experience symptoms in the...