Table 1 Definition of terms.
From: Diagnostic confirmation of mild traumatic brain injury by diffusion tensor imaging: a case report
Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Traumatic brain injury | A form of acquired brain injury resulting from sudden trauma to the head. Complications of such an injury can result in permanent or temporary deficits in cognitive, physical and psychosocial functions. |
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) | Currently the most sensitive imaging test of the head commonly used in clinical practice. An MRI uses a magnetic field and radiofrequency pulses to provide detailed images of soft tissues and internal body structures. |
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) | A new technology capable of providing images of neural tracts. DTI accomplishes this by measuring the restricted diffusion of water through tissues. |
Fractional anisotropy (FA) | A scalar value between zero and one that describes the degree of anisotropy of a diffusion process. A value of zero means that diffusion is isotropic, that is, it is unrestricted (or equally restricted) in all directions. A value of one means that diffusion occurs only along one axis and is fully restricted in all other directions |
Neuropsychological evaluation | An evaluation in which a trained neuropsychologist can acquire data about a subject's cognitive, motor, behavioral, language and executive functioning. Such information can lead to a diagnosis as well as to the localization of abnormalities in the central nervous system. |