Longitudinal assessment of glymphatic changes following mild traumatic brain injury: Insights from perivascular space burden and DTI-ALPS imaging

Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) even in the mild form may result in long-lasting post-concussion symptoms. TBI is also a known risk to late-life neurodegeneration. Recent studies suggest that dysfunction in the glymphatic system, responsible for clearing protein waste from the brain, may play a pivotal role in the development of dementia following TBI. Given the diverse nature of TBI, longitudinal investigations are essential to comprehending the dynamic changes in the glymphatic system and its implications for recovery. Methods In this prospective study, we evaluated two promising glymphatic imaging markers, namely the enlarged perivascular space (ePVS) burden and Diffusion Tensor Imaging-based ALPS index, in 44 patients with mTBI at two early post-injury time points: approximately 14 days (14Day) and 6–12 months (6–12Mon) post-injury, while also examining their associations with post-concussion symptoms. Additionally, 37 controls, comprising both orthopedic patients and healthy individuals, were included for comparative analysis. Results Our key findings include: (1) White matter ePVS burden (WM-ePVS) and ALPS index exhibit significant correlations with age. (2) Elevated WM-ePVS burden in acute mTBI (14Day) is significantly linked to a higher number of post-concussion symptoms, particularly memory problems. (3) The increase in the ALPS index from acute (14Day) to the chronic (6–12Mon) phases in mTBI patients correlates with improvement in sleep measures. Furthermore, incorporating WM-ePVS burden and the ALPS index from acute phase enhances the prediction of chronic memory problems beyond socio-demographic and basic clinical information. Conclusion ePVS burden and ALPS index offers distinct values in assessing glymphatic structure and activity. Early evaluation of glymphatic function could be crucial for understanding TBI recovery and developing targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes.