The Impact of Age on Post-Concussive Symptoms: A Comparative Study of Symptoms Related and Not Related to the Default Mode Network
Krista Wurscher, Amy ES Schauer
Journal of Emerging Investigators 2017 DOI: 10.59720/16-093 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 157 |
| Population | People who had experienced concussions and healthy controls |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | In concussed individuals, sleeping problems were not correlated with Default Mode Network maturity, but a higher percentage of those injured at ages 14–16 reported depression, anxiety, and insomnia than other age groups. Symptoms not related to the Default Mode Network appeared more linearly correlated with age than network-related symptoms. |
Abstract
The Default Mode Network is a network of connected brain regions that are active when the brain is not focused on external tasks. Minor brain injuries, such as concussions, can affect this network and manifest symptoms. We measured the correlation between the symptoms people experienced after a concussion and their age at the time the concussion occurred. We hypothesized that some symptoms, including depression, anxiety, insomnia and other sleeping problems, have a higher correlation with age than other possible symptoms. Data were collected from 133 people who had experienced concussions, as well as data from 24 healthy controls. Investigation of healthy controls via regression analysis revealed no notable or significant patterns. In concussed individuals, the incidence of sleeping problems was not correlated with the maturity of the Default Mode Network; however, there was a higher percentage of people who had a concussion between the ages of 14–16 who experienced depression, anxiety, and insomnia, as compared to other age groups and symptoms. By comparing the regression analyses, we determined that the symptoms not related to the Default Mode Network were more linearly correlated with age than symptoms related to the Default Mode Network. This phenomenon is intriguing and deserving of further research.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |