PHILADELPHIA: Disruptions in a key brain region can explain the varied outcomes after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children and adolescents, according to research. Post-injury outcomes vary widely, and injury severity can only explain some of this variance. Combining data from brain imaging and recording, researchers at the University of Southern California and UCLA found that disruptions in the structure and function of a brain region called the corpus callosum could explain the variance in cognitive outcomes.
TBI is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adolescents. One of the most commonly damaged brain areas is the corpus callosum, a large band of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. Damage to this area can cause cognitive deficits that can persist for years in some children.