Research reveals brain changes from concussion

Dr. Erin Bigler, from BYU, has identified "subtle but significant" brain changes that normally go undetected using traditional imaging techniques. In this article they explain the benefits of using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI to look at what he calls "the microenvironment" of the brain, an analysis not provided by traditional MRIs:

The researchers found differences in the appearance of the corpus callosum, which separates the right and left sides of the brain, in 10 teenagers who had sustained concussions one to six days previously and who suffered symptoms such as headaches. The study compared these to the brain images of 10 uninjured teens.

The study found that the concussion patients with the worst symptoms had the most substantial changes on the DTI images. Because the DTI imaging is still "several steps removed" from looking at actual brain tissue, Bigler explains, it's hard to tell if those changes represent swelling.

This story will likely hit the AP and Reuters in the next few days, and should span a tremendous amount of new research.