Task switching in traumatic brain injury relates to cortico-subcortical integrity

Inge Leunissen, James P Coxon, Karen Caeyenberghs, Karla Michiels, Stefan Sunaert, Stephan P Swinnen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Suppressing and flexibly adapting actions are a critical part of our daily behavioral repertoire. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients show clear impairments in this type of action control; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we tested whether white matter integrity of cortico-subcortical pathways could account for impairments in task switching, an important component of executive functioning. Twenty young adults with TBI and eighteen controls performed a switching task requiring attention to global versus local stimulus features. Diffusion weighted images were acquired and whole brain tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were used to explore where white matter damage was associated with switching impairment. A crossing fiber model and probabilistic tractography further identified the specific fiber populations. Relative to controls, patients with a history of TBI had a higher switch cost and were less accurate. The TBI group showed a widespread decline in fractional anisotropy (FA) throughout the TBSS skeleton. FA in the superior corona radiata showed a negative relationship with switch cost. More specifically, this involved cortico-subcortical loops with the (pre-)supplementary motor area and superior frontal gyrus. These findings provide evidence for damage to frontal-subcortical projections in TBI, which is associated with task switching impairments.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2459-2469
Number of pages11
JournalHuman Brain Mapping
Volume35
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2014

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anisotropy
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/etiology
  • Brain/pathology
  • Brain Injuries/complications
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging
  • Executive Function
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Male
  • Nerve Net/pathology
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • White Matter/pathology
  • Young Adult

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