Mapping Cerebral Connectivity Changes after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Older Adults Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Riemannian Matching of Elastic Curves

Although diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can identify white matter (WM) changes due to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), the task of within-subject longitudinal matching of DTI streamlines remains challenging in this condition. Here we combine (A) automatic, atlas-informed labeling of WM streamline clusters with (B) streamline prototyping and (C) Riemannian matching of elastic curves to quantify within-subject changes in WM structure properties, focusing on the arcuate fasciculus. The approach is demonstrated in a group of geriatric mTBI patients imaged acutely and ~6 months post-injury. Results highlight the utility of differen-tial geometry approaches when quantifying brain connectivity alterations due to mTBI.