VENTRICULAR DILATION, CORTICAL ATROPHY, AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOME FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Day-of-injury computed tomographic scans were compared with postinjury magnetic resonance imaging of 38 patients with traumatic brain injury . Ventricles and several white and gray matter structures were measure d. Results demonstrated signficant changes in ventricular sizes and al l measures of white matter. Changes in gray matter were nonsignficant, except in the putamen/globus pallidus. Patients were grouped accordin g to ventricular change, and neuropsychological outcome was examined. The group with the highest ventricular change had significantly lower memory scores but did not show significant differences on tests of int ellectual functioning. A three-dimensional image analysis was performe d to enhance visualization of the injured brain.