Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or what is commonly referred to as concussion, affects millions of people each year. While mTBIs are typically not life-threatening, these types of injuries can cause chemical changes in the brain, as well as stretch and damage brain cells.
David O. Okonkwo, MD, PhD, McGowan affiliated faculty and Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, has co-authored a study on mTBI recently published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.
The study, titled “Association of obesity with mild traumatic brain injury symptoms, inflammatory profile, quality of life and functional outcomes: a TRACK-TBI Study,” is the first to examine whether obesity affects recovery time, symptoms, and increased inflammatory response in mTBI patients.
Researchers found that people with obesity who suffer an mTBI have “higher symptomatology at 6 and 12 months.” Results of the study indicate that higher concentrations of systemic inflammation likely contribute to prolonged symptoms.
Approximately 53% of patients with mTBI still have functional limitations one year after injury. While physical and cognitive behavioral therapies can help with rehabilitation, people with prolonged neuroinflammation typically have longer recovery times and more severe symptoms.
Mild TBI patients with obese body mass index (BMI) who participated in the study had higher concentrations of blood biomarkers associated with increased systemic inflammation than participants with healthy BMIs.
Lead author Shawn Eagle, PhD, research assistant professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, stated, “Our findings suggest clinicians should consider higher body mass as a risk factor for poor responses to mTBI.”
Dr. Eagle continued, “Our hope is to build our research program to find treatments that reduce inflammation and improve overall health for obese patients after sustaining an mTBI.”
Find the study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.