2 / 22
Page 20
Notes:
conferenceseries
.com
Volume 3
October 03-04, 2018 Osaka, Japan
Pediatric Neurology & Medicine
3
rd
International conference on
N
euroscience
, N
euroradiology
and
I
maging
Neuroimaging 2018
October 03-04, 2018
Mario Forcione et al., J Pediatr Neurol Med 2018, Volume 3
DOI: 10.4172/2472-100X-C1-003
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy on acute sport-related concussion: Can a brain activation
pattern be used as a biomarker of concussion?
Mario Forcione
1
, Joshua Deepak Veesa
1
, Patrick O’Halloran
1
, Wenqi Lu
1
, Kamal Makram Yakoub
2
and Antonio Belli
1
1
University of Birmingham, UK
2
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, UK
Statement of the Problem:
Currently, the diagnosis and follow-up of acute Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) is based mainly
on symptom score. This may lead to underreported or underestimated episodes of concussion among contact-sport players
or pre-emptive return to play. Studies using task-related functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) reported abnormal
brain activation patterns during neurocognitive tasks in SRC. This can be used as an objective parameter to assess players with
suspected concussion and to track their recovery. However, the results are not consistent between fMRI studies. Functional
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) can be a valid alternative to assess the cerebral activation in concussed patients illuminating
their brain with NIR light. No study has been conducted on SRC within 72 hours of injury using fNIRS. The objective of this
study is to identify a pathological brain activation pattern that can be used as a biomarker for concussion using fNIRS.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation:
An observational study on concussed athletes within 72 hours from injury and
non-concussed athletes is conducted using fNIRS. Results are compared with clinical assessment, validated neurocognitive
tests (e.g. WAIS-IV) and neuroimaging techniques (e.g. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy).
Finding:
Preliminary results show the capacity to detect brain activations using fNIRS. Further measurements are needed to
detect a constant activation pattern in SRC and establish its relationship with neurocognitive tasks and imaging techniques.
Conclusion & Significance:
fNIRS is a valid tool to detect brain activation. Further measurements are needed to define the
type of fNIRS signal that can be used as a biomarker of SRC.
Biography
Mario Forcione is a Medical Graduate in La Sapienza, University of Rome in 2015. Currently, he is a PhD student of the University of Birmingham and is working
in the project “Brain Injury and Trauma Monitoring Using Advanced Photonics”.
MXF610@student.bham.ac.uk