Evaluation of MR Elastography-Based Biomarkers for Detecting Skull-Brain Interface Decoupling Changes in Response to Repetitive Head Impacts

Motivation: The growing concern about subconcussive, repetitive head impacts (RHI) has prompted the need for non-invasive RHI detection methods. Goal(s): To understand if there are alterations of the skull-brain interface due to RHI exposure and explore potential imaging biomarkers for characterizing RHI. Approach: Four MR Elastography (MRE)-based parameters were compared between RHI(-) and RHI(+) groups, encompassing assessment of cortical stiffness, capabilities of motion dampening, and strain mediation at the skull-brain interface. Results: Our findings revealed increased cortical stiffness, rotational transmission ratio, and adjusted NOSS in individuals with high RHI exposure, suggesting a degeneration of the skull-brain interface decoupling performance. Impact: This study sheds light on RHI-induced changes at the skull-brain interface, proposing three potential non-invasive biomarkers for monitoring such alterations. These findings hold promise for aiding medical professionals in identifying individuals at high RHI exposure risk.