Publications
33 results found
Bourke N, Yanez-Lopez M, Jenkins P, et al., 2021, Traumatic brain injury: a comparison of diffusion and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging measures, Brain Communications, Vol: 3, ISSN: 2632-1297
Cognitive impairment following traumatic brain injury remains hard to predict. This is partly because axonal injury, which is of fundamental importance, is difficult to measure clinically. Advances in MRI allow axonal injury to be detected after traumatic brain injury, but the most sensitive approach is unclear. Here we compare the performance of diffusion tensor imaging, neurite orientation dispersion and density-imaging and volumetric measures of brain atrophy in the identification of white matter abnormalities after traumatic brain injury.Thirty patients with moderate-severe traumatic brain injury in the chronic phase and 20 age-matched controls had T1-weighted and diffusion MRI. Neuropsychological tests of processing speed, executive functioning and memory were used to detect cognitive impairment.Extensive abnormalities in neurite density index and orientation dispersion index were observed, with distinct spatial patterns. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity also indicated widespread abnormalities of white matter structure. Neurite density index was significantly correlated with processing speed. Slower processing speed was also related to higher mean diffusivity in the cortico-spinal tracts. Lower white matter volumes were seen following brain injury with greater effect sizes compared to diffusion metrics however volume was not sensitive to changes in cognitive performance.Volume was the most sensitive at detecting change between groups but was not specific for determining relationships with cognition. Abnormalities in fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were the most sensitive diffusion measures, however neurite density index and orientation dispersion index may be more spatially specific. Lower neurite density index may be a useful metric for examining slower processing speed.
Mallas E-J, De Simoni S, Scott G, et al., 2021, Abnormal dorsal attention network activation in memory impairment after traumatic brain injury, Brain: a journal of neurology, Vol: 144, Pages: 114-127, ISSN: 0006-8950
Memory impairment is a common, disabling effect of traumatic brain injury. In healthy individuals, successful memory encoding is associated with activation of the dorsal attention network as well as suppression of the default mode network. Here, in traumatic brain injurypatients we examined whether: i) impairments in memory encoding are associated with abnormal brain activation in these networks; ii) whether changes in this brain activity predict subsequent memory retrieval; and iii) whether abnormal white matter integrity underpinningfunctional networks is associated with impaired subsequent memory. 35 patients with moderate-severetraumatic brain injury aged 23-65 years (74% males) in the post-acute/chronic phase after injury and 16 healthy controls underwent functional MRI during performance of an abstract image memory encoding task. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to assess structural abnormalities across patient groups compared to 28 age-matched healthy controls. Successful memory encoding across all participants was associated with activation of the dorsal attention network, the ventral visual stream and medial temporal lobes. Decreased activation was seen in the default mode network. Patients with preserved episodic memory demonstrated increased activation in areas of the dorsal attention network.Patients with impaired memory showed increased left anterior prefrontal activity. White matter microstructure underpinning connectivity between core nodes of the encoding networks was significantly reduced in patients with memory impairment. Our results show for the first time that patients with impaired episodic memory show abnormal activation of key nodes within the dorsal attention network and regions regulating default mode network activity during encoding. Successful encoding was associated with an opposite direction of signal
Jenkins P, Roussakis A-A, De Simoni S, et al., 2020, Distinct dopaminergic abnormalities in traumatic brain injury and Parkinson’s disease, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, Vol: 91, Pages: 631-637, ISSN: 0022-3050
Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and REM behavioural disorder (RBD) are risk factors for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Dopaminergic abnormalities are often seen after TBI, but patients usually lack parkinsonian features. We test whether TBI, PD and RBD have distinct striatal dopamine abnormalities using dopamine transporter imaging. Methods: 123I-ioflupane SPECT scans were used in a cross-sectional study to measure dopamine transporter (DaT) levels in moderate/severe TBI, healthy controls, early PD and RBD patients. Caudate and putamen DaT, putamen-to-caudate ratios and left-right symmetry of DaT were compared.Results: 108 participants (43 TBI, 26 PD, 8 RBD, 31 controls) were assessed. Early PD patients scored significantly higher on the UPDRS motor subscale than other groups. TBI and PD patients had reduced DaT levels in the caudate (12.2% and 18.7% respectively) and putamen (9.0% and 42.6% respectively) compared to controls. RBD patients had reduced DaT levels in the putamen (12.8%) but not in the caudate compared to controls. PD and TBI patients showed distinct patterns of DaT reduction, with PD patients showing a lower putamen-to-caudate ratio. DaT asymmetry was greater in the PD group than other groups. Conclusions: The results show that early PD and TBI patients have distinct patterns of striatal dopamine abnormalities. Early PD and moderate/severe TBI patients showed similar reductions in caudate DaT binding, but PD patients showed a greater reduction in putamen DaT and a lower putamen-to-caudate ratio. The results suggest that parkinsonian motor signs are absent in these TBI patients because of relatively intact putaminal dopamine levels.
Khan W, Amad A, Giampietro V, et al., 2020, The heterogeneous functional architecture of the posteromedial cortex is associated with selective functional connectivity differences in Alzheimer's disease, HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Vol: 41, Pages: 1557-1572, ISSN: 1065-9471
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- Citations: 6
Jolly AE, Raymont V, Cole JH, et al., 2019, Dopamine D2/D3 receptor abnormalities after traumatic brain injury and their relationship to post-traumatic depression, NeuroImage: Clinical, Vol: 24, ISSN: 2213-1582
ObjectiveTo investigate dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their relationship to the presence of DSM-IV Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and patterns of axonal injury.MethodsTwelve moderate-severe TBI patients and 26 controls were imaged using [11C]PHNO positron emission tomography (PET) and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). TBI patients and a second group of 32 controls also underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neuropsychological assessment. Patients included six with post-injury MDD (TBI-MDD) and six without (TBI-NON). Non-displaceable binding potential (BPND) [11C]PHNO values were used to index D2/D3 receptor availability, and were calculated using a reference region procedure. Differences in BPND were examined using voxelwise and region-of-interest analyses. White matter microstructure integrity, quantified by fractional anisotropy (FA), was assessed and correlated with BPND.ResultsLower [11C]PHNO BPND was found in the caudate across all TBI patients when compared to controls. Lower [11C]PHNO BPND was observed in the caudate of TBI-MDD patients and increased [11C]PHNO BPND in the Amygdala of TBI-NON patients compared to controls. There were no significant differences in [11C]PHNO BPND between TBI-MDD and TBI-NON patients. Furthermore, DTI provided evidence of axonal injury following TBI. The uncinate fasciculus and cingulum had abnormally low FA, with the uncinate particularly affected in TBI-MDD patients. Caudate [11C]PHNO BPND correlated with FA within the nigro-caudate tract.Conclusions[11C]PHNO BPND is abnormal following TBI, which indicates post-traumatic changes in D2/D3 receptors. Patterns of [11C]PHNO BPND seen in patients with and without MDD suggest that further research would be beneficial to determine whether the use of dopaminergic treatment might be effective in the treatment of post-traumatic depression.
Jenkins PO, De Simoni S, Bourke NJ, et al., 2019, Stratifying drug treatment of cognitive impairments after traumatic brain injury using neuroimaging, Brain, Vol: 142, Pages: 2367-2379, ISSN: 1460-2156
Cognitive impairment is common following traumatic brain injury. Dopaminergic drugs can enhance cognition after traumatic brain injury, but individual responses are highly variable. This may be due to variability in dopaminergic damage between patients. We investigate whether measuring dopamine transporter levels using 123I-ioflupane single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) predicts response to methylphenidate, a stimulant with dopaminergic effects. Forty patients with moderate-severe traumatic brain injury and cognitive impairments completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. 123I-ioflupane SPECT, MRI and neuropsychological testing were performed. Patients received 0.3 mg/kg of methylphenidate or placebo twice a day in 2-week blocks. Subjects received neuropsychological assessment after each block and completed daily home cognitive testing during the trial. The primary outcome measure was change in choice reaction time produced by methylphenidate and its relationship to stratification of patients into groups with normal and low dopamine transporter binding in the caudate. Overall, traumatic brain injury patients showed slow information processing speed. Patients with low caudate dopamine transporter binding showed improvement in response times with methylphenidate compared to placebo [median change = -16 ms; 95% confidence interval (CI): -28 to -3 ms; P = 0.02]. This represents a 27% improvement in the slowing produced by traumatic brain injury. Patients with normal dopamine transporter binding did not improve. Daily home-based choice reaction time results supported this: the low dopamine transporter group improved (median change -19 ms; 95% CI: -23 to -7 ms; P = 0.002) with no change in the normal dopamine transporter group (P = 0.50). The low dopamine transporter group also improved on self-reported and caregiver apathy assessments (P = 0.03 and P = 0.02, respectively). Both groups reported improvements in fatigue (P = 0.03
Jenkins PO, De Simoni S, Bourke N, et al., 2018, Dopaminergic abnormalities following traumatic brain injury, Brain, Vol: 141, Pages: 797-810, ISSN: 1460-2156
Traumatic brain injury can reduce striatal dopamine levels. The cause of this is uncertain, but is likely to be related to damage to the nigrostriatal system. We investigated the pattern of striatal dopamine abnormalities using 123I-Ioflupane single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans and their relationship to nigrostriatal damage and clinical features. We studied 42 moderate–severe traumatic brain injury patients with cognitive impairments but no motor parkinsonism signs and 20 healthy controls. 123I-Ioflupane scanning was used to assess dopamine transporter levels. Clinical scan reports were compared to quantitative dopamine transporter results. Advanced MRI methods were used to assess the nigrostriatal system, including the area through which the nigrostriatal projections pass as defined from high-resolution Human Connectome data. Detailed clinical and neuropsychological assessments were performed. Around 20% of our moderate–severe patients had clear evidence of reduced specific binding ratios for the dopamine transporter in the striatum measured using 123I-Ioflupane SPECT. The caudate was affected more consistently than other striatal regions. Dopamine transporter abnormalities were associated with reduced substantia nigra volume. In addition, diffusion MRI provided evidence of damage to the regions through which the nigrostriatal tract passes, particularly the area traversed by dopaminergic projections to the caudate. Only a small percentage of patients had evidence of macroscopic lesions in the striatum and there was no relationship between presence of lesions and dopamine transporter specific binding ratio abnormalities. There was also no relationship between reduced volume in the striatal subregions and reduced dopamine transporter specific binding ratios. Patients with low caudate dopamine transporter specific binding ratios show impaired processing speed and executive dysfunction compared to patients with normal levels. Taken toge
Cole JH, Jolly A, De Simoni S, et al., 2018, Spatial patterns of progressive brain volume loss after moderate-severe traumatic brain injury, Brain, Vol: 141, Pages: 822-836, ISSN: 1460-2156
Traumatic brain injury leads to significant loss of brain volume, which continues into the chronic stage. This can be sensitively measured using volumetric analysis of magnetic resonance imaging. Here we: (i) investigated longitudinal patterns of brain atrophy; (ii) tested whether atrophy is greatest in sulcal cortical regions, and (iii) showed how atrophy could be used to power intervention trials aimed at slowing neurodegeneration. In 61 moderate/severe traumatic brain injury patients (mean age = 41.55 years ± 12.77) and 32 healthy controls (mean age = 34.22 years ± 10.29), cross-sectional and longitudinal (one-year follow-up) brain structure was assessed using voxel-based morphometry on T1-weighted scans. Longitudinal brain volume changes were characterised using a novel neuroimaging analysis pipeline that generates a Jacobian determinant metric, reflecting spatial warping between baseline and follow-up scans. Jacobian determinant values were summarised regionally and compared with clinical and neuropsychological measures. Traumatic brain injury patients showed lower grey and white matter volume in multiple brain regions compared to controls at baseline. Atrophy over one year was pronounced following traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury patients lost a mean (± standard deviation) of 1.55% ± 2.19 of grey matter volume per year, 1.49% ± 2.20 of white matter volume or 1.51% ± 1.60 of whole brain volume. Healthy controls lost 0.55% ± 1.13 of grey matter volume and gained 0.26% ± 1.11 of white matter volume; equating to a 0.22% ± 0.83 reduction in whole brain volume. Atrophy was greatest in white matter, where the majority (84%) of regions were affected. This effect was independent of and substantially greater than that of ageing. Increased atrophy was also seen in cortical sulci compared to gyri. There was no relationship between atrophy and time since injury or age at baseline. Atrophy rates we
Scott GPT, Zetterberg H, Jolly A, et al., 2017, Minocycline reduces chronic microglial activation after brain trauma but increases neurodegeneration, Brain, Vol: 141, Pages: 459-471, ISSN: 1460-2156
Survivors of a traumatic brain injury can deteriorate years later, developing brain atrophy and dementia. Traumatic brain injury triggers chronic microglial activation, but it is unclear whether this is harmful or beneficial. A successful chronic-phase treatment for traumatic brain injury might be to target microglia. In experimental models, the antibiotic minocycline inhibits microglial activation. We investigated the effect of minocycline on microglial activation and neurodegeneration using PET, MRI, and measurement of the axonal protein neurofilament light in plasma. Microglial activation was assessed using 11C-PBR28 PET. The relationships of microglial activation to measures of brain injury, and the effects of minocycline on disease progression, were assessed using structural and diffusion MRI, plasma neurofilament light, and cognitive assessment. Fifteen patients at least 6 months after a moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury received either minocycline 100 mg orally twice daily or no drug, for 12 weeks. At baseline, 11C-PBR28 binding in patients was increased compared to controls in cerebral white matter and thalamus, and plasma neurofilament light levels were elevated. MRI measures of white matter damage were highest in areas of greater 11C-PBR28 binding. Minocycline reduced 11C-PBR28 binding (mean Δwhite matter binding = −23.30%, 95% confidence interval −40.9 to −5.64%, P = 0.018), but increased plasma neurofilament light levels. Faster rates of brain atrophy were found in patients with higher baseline neurofilament light levels. In this experimental medicine study, minocycline after traumatic brain injury reduced chronic microglial activation while increasing a marker of neurodegeneration. These findings suggest that microglial activation has a reparative effect in the chronic phase of traumatic brain injury.
Jenkins P, De Simoni S, Bourke N, et al., 2017, TARGETED TREATMENT FOR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY WITH METHYLPHENIDATE, Publisher: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, Pages: A82-A82, ISSN: 0022-3050
De Simoni S, Jenkins PO, Bourke N, et al., 2017, Altered caudate connectivity is associated with executive dysfunction after traumatic brain injury, Brain, Vol: 141, Pages: 148-164, ISSN: 1460-2156
Traumatic brain injury often produces executive dysfunction. This characteristic cognitive impairment often causes long-term problems with behaviour and personality. Frontal lobe injuries are associated with executive dysfunction, but it is unclear how these injuries relate to corticostriatal interactions that are known to play an important role in behavioural control. We hypothesized that executive dysfunction after traumatic brain injury would be associated with abnormal corticostriatal interactions, a question that has not previously been investigated. We used structural and functional MRI measures of connectivity to investigate this. Corticostriatal functional connectivity in healthy individuals was initially defined using a data-driven approach. A constrained independent component analysis approach was applied in 100 healthy adult dataset from the Human Connectome Project. Diffusion tractography was also performed to generate white matter tracts. The output of this analysis was used to compare corticostriatal functional connectivity and structural integrity between groups of 42 patients with traumatic brain injury and 21 age-matched controls. Subdivisions of the caudate and putamen had distinct patterns of functional connectivity. Traumatic brain injury patients showed disruption to functional connectivity between the caudate and a distributed set of cortical regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex. Cognitive impairments in the patients were mainly seen in processing speed and executive function, as well as increased levels of apathy and fatigue. Abnormalities of caudate functional connectivity correlated with these cognitive impairments, with reductions in right caudate connectivity associated with increased executive dysfunction, information processing speed and memory impairment. Structural connectivity, measured using diffusion tensor imaging between the caudate and anterior cingulate cortex was impaired and this also correlated with measures of ex
Jenkins P, De Simoni S, Bourke N, et al., 2017, Disruption to the dopaminergic system following traumatic brain injury, Publisher: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, ISSN: 0028-3878
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Jenkins PO, De Simoni S, Fleminger J, et al., 2016, Disruption to the dopaminergic system after traumatic brain injury, Annual Meeting of the Association-of-British-Neurologists (ABN), Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group, ISSN: 1468-330X
De Simoni S, Grover PJ, Jenkins PO, et al., 2016, Disconnection between the default mode network and medial temporal lobes in post-traumatic amnesia, Brain, Vol: 139, Pages: 3137-3150, ISSN: 0006-8950
Post-traumatic amnesia is very common immediately after traumatic brain injury. It is characterised by a confused, agitated state and a pronounced inability to encode new memories and sustain attention. Clinically, post-traumatic amnesia is an important predictor of functional outcome. However, despite its prevalence and functional importance, the pathophysiology of post-traumatic amnesia is not understood. Memory processing relies on limbic structures such as the hippocampus, parahippocampus and parts of the cingulate cortex. These structures are connected within an intrinsic connectivity network, the Default Mode Network. Interactions within the Default Mode Network can be assessed using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, which can be acquired in confused patients unable to perform tasks in the scanner. Here we used this approach to test the hypothesis that the mnemonic symptoms of post-traumatic amnesia are caused by functional disconnection within the Default Mode Network. We assessed whether the hippocampus and parahippocampus showed evidence of transient disconnection from cortical brain regions involved in memory processing. 19 traumatic brain injury patients were classified into post-traumatic amnesia and traumatic brain injury control groups, based on their performance on a paired associates learning task. Cognitive function was also assessed with a detailed neuropsychological test battery. Functional interactions between brain regions were investigated using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Together with impairments in associative memory patients in post-traumatic amnesia demonstrated impairments in information processing speed and spatial working memory. Patients in post-traumatic amnesia showed abnormal functional connectivity between the parahippocampal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex. The strength of this functional connection correlated with both associative memory and information processing speed and normal
Record C, De Simoni S, Feeney C, et al., 2016, Improved cerebral blood flow after natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis, 32nd Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE Publications, Pages: 669-669, ISSN: 1352-4585
Jenkins P, De Simoni S, Fleminger J, et al., 2016, Disruption to the dopaminergic system following traumatic brain injury, International Brain Injury Association’s Eleventh World Congress on Brain Injury, Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Pages: 670-670, ISSN: 1362-301X
De Simoni S, Kochaj R, Jenkins P, et al., 2016, Changes in cerebral blood flow and their relationship to cognition following traumatic brain injury, International Brain Injury Association’s Eleventh World Congress on Brain Injury, Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Pages: 605-605, ISSN: 1362-301X
Jolly AE, De Simoni S, Cole JH, et al., 2016, Identifying cognitive impairment in TBI: A novel multivariate approach, International Brain Injury Association’s Eleventh World Congress on Brain Injury, Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Pages: 518-518, ISSN: 1362-301X
Pollak TA, De Simoni S, Barimani B, et al., 2015, Phenomenologically distinct psychotomimetic effects of ketamine are associated with cerebral blood flow changes in functionally relevant cerebral foci: a continuous arterial spin labelling study, PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, Vol: 232, Pages: 4515-4524, ISSN: 0033-3158
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- Citations: 23
Jenkins P, Fleminger J, De-Simoni S, et al., 2015, HOME COMPUTERISED COGNITIVE TESTING FOR TBI IS FEASIBLE AND POPULAR, Annual Meeting of the Association-of-British-Neurologists (ABN), Publisher: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, ISSN: 0022-3050
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- Citations: 1
Shcherbinin S, Doyle O, Zelaya FO, et al., 2015, Modulatory effects of ketamine, risperidone and lamotrigine on resting brain perfusion in healthy human subjects, PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, Vol: 232, Pages: 4191-4204, ISSN: 0033-3158
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- Citations: 20
Stone J, Kotoula V, Dietrich C, et al., 2015, Perceptual distortions and delusional thinking following ketamine administration are related to increased pharmacological MRI signal changes in the parietal lobe, JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, Vol: 29, Pages: 1025-1028, ISSN: 0269-8811
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- Citations: 19
Majewska P, Ribeiro Violante I, Lorenz R, et al., 2015, EEG characteristics of memory deficits in acute traumatic brain injury patients with post-traumatic amnesia, The Society of British Neurological Surgeons Meeting 2015
Jenkins P, De Simoni S, Grover P, et al., 2014, HIPPOCAMPAL CONNECTIVITY AND POST-TRAUMATIC AMNESIA, Meeting of the Associatiion-of-British-Neurologists, Publisher: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, ISSN: 0022-3050
Doyle OM, De Simoni S, Schwarz AJ, et al., 2013, Quantifying the Attenuation of the Ketamine Pharmacological Magnetic Resonance Imaging Response in Humans: A Validation Using Antipsychotic and Glutamatergic Agents, JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS, Vol: 345, Pages: 151-160, ISSN: 0022-3565
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- Citations: 78
De Simoni S, Schwarz AJ, O'Daly OG, et al., 2013, Test-retest reliability of the BOLD pharmacological MRI response to ketamine in healthy volunteers, NEUROIMAGE, Vol: 64, Pages: 75-90, ISSN: 1053-8119
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- Citations: 80
Stone JM, Dietrich C, Edden R, et al., 2012, Ketamine effects on brain GABA and glutamate levels with 1H-MRS: relationship to ketamine- induced psychopathology, MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, Vol: 17, Pages: 664-665, ISSN: 1359-4184
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- Citations: 199
Marquand AF, O'Daly OG, De Simoni S, et al., 2012, Dissociable effects of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and placebo on regional cerebral blood flow in healthy volunteers at rest: A multi-class pattern recognition approach, NEUROIMAGE, Vol: 60, Pages: 1015-1024, ISSN: 1053-8119
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- Citations: 54
Stone J, Dietrich C, Edden R, et al., 2012, Ketamine-induced changes in anterior cingulate glutamate levels correlate with positive symptom generation, EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, Vol: 22, Pages: S52-S53, ISSN: 0924-977X
Stone JM, Dietrich C, Reed L, et al., 2011, EFFECT OF KETAMINE ON BRAIN GLUTAMATE AND GABA IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS, Summer Meeting of the British-Association-for-Psychopharmacology, Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: A59-A59, ISSN: 0269-8811
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