News release

From: Adelaide University

Preliminary results from a first of its kind study at Adelaide University suggest that changes in the brain following a traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as a concussion, may continue for many years after the injury, even in healthy adults.

Researchers found participants in the early trial who had suffered a moderate or severe TBI recorded higher scores on a measure of mood dysfunction than the control group.

Brain scans also showed reduced white matter integrity across multiple areas of the brain, including those implicated in cognitive and mood function, in some cases decades after the original injury.

Participants with a history of TBI, including concussion, were also more likely to experience a reduced sense of smell along with autonomic and gastrointestinal changes. These symptoms are associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease later in life.

“When these symptoms are considered together, they suggest that a traumatic brain injury is not a one-off event. Changes within the brain may be ongoing for many years following the initial injury,” said Adelaide University’s Associate Professor Lyndsey Collins-Praino, the Principal Investigator of the Find TBI study.

“Such changes could potentially act as early warning signs of future risk of neurological or neuropsychiatric disease, before more obvious symptoms appear.”

Researchers now want to explore these initial results further to see if they can use this information to pinpoint the exact brain mechanisms that determine who is at an increased risk of long-term impairment or neurodegenerative disorders following TBI.

“While most people who experience a concussion or more severe injury won’t go on to develop Parkinson’s disease or dementia, we know that having a history of TBI does increase one’s chances of being diagnosed with these conditions,” said Associate Professor Collins-Praino.

“What we don’t understand is who specifically these individuals are, or what brain mechanisms drive this risk. We also don’t know why some people seemingly recover fully following a TBI, while others experience long-term changes post-injury.

“If we can help answer these questions, we might be able to form guidelines for better monitoring and care for people with a history of these types of injuries.

“This could lead to earlier diagnosis or more personalised management strategies, which in turn could improve the prognosis for the millions of people who are affected by a TBI each year.”

More than 600 people have already been recruited for this large-scale, ongoing study, but in a final push, researchers are looking for more participants. They’re seeking an additional 50 people with Parkinson’s disease and up to 200 individuals with a prior history of TBI, of any severity and experienced at any point in their life after the age of ten, to participate.

Those eligible take part in two in-person testing sessions. These include testing of motor and cognitive skills and sense of smell, completion of several surveys and collection of blood and saliva samples.

Participants will also undergo a brain scan using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results gathered will be compared to those of healthy participants.

“This is a critical first step towards understanding what drives risk of long-term neurological impairment or neurodegenerative disease development in those who have experienced TBI,” said Associate Professor Collins-Praino.

“If we know who may be at risk longer term, we can intervene earlier and hopefully improve the outcomes for patients.”

Up to 15 per cent of dementia cases are believed to be related to TBI, while even a single TBI can increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by more than 50 per cent.

“It is crucial that we continue to conduct research into the link between TBI and neurodegenerative brain diseases,” said Associate Professor Collins-Praino.

“Importantly, the comprehensive and multifaceted data gathered from our study will continue to drive new research questions and inform scientific outcomes in this space for decades to come.”

To find out if you’re eligible to participate in this study, please email find_tbi@adelaide.edu.au.