CORPUS STRIATUM AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

The possibility of a 'subcortical' syndrome differentially affecting m emory in traumatic brian injury (TBI) subjects was examined. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of 46 traumatic brain injured male patients we re compared with those of 34 male control subjects. Surface area measu rements of the corpus striatum were calculated for both groups. Result s demonstrated no significant differences in corpus striatum surface a rea measurements. Additionally, TBI patients were grouped according to severity of injury, as well as degree of corpus striatum atrophy, and neuropsychological outcome was examined. There were modest (r = 0.35) but significant correlations between corpus striatum degeneration and the delayed recall trial and total score of the Rey Auditory Verbal L earning Test, but no other correlations between neuropsychological and corpus striatal surface area were significant. Because subcortical pa thology may have a differential effect on memory, recognition and reca ll memory were further analysed, but no significant differences were f ound. TBI subjects with the smallest corpus striatum values did not te st significantly different from TBI patients with normal corpus striat um values or differences in cortical atrophy, as determined by a ventr icle-to-brain ratio. These findings suggest that there is not a unique pattern of subcortical pathology involving the corpus striatum in TBI .