MRI changes and ApoE genotype, a prospective 1-year follow-up of traumatic brain injury: a pilot study.

ABSTRACT

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype and visibility of traumatic brain lesions during the first year after traumatic brain injury (TBI). RESEARCH DESIGN: A prospective 1-year follow-up study in unselected victims of TBI. METHODS: The number and extent of contusions, ventricular size index and semi-quantitative score of other traumatic intraparenchymal lesions were determined with MRI approximately 1 week and 1 year after TBI and the results were analysed in relation to the ApoE genotype in 33 patients after acute non-trivial TBI. RESULTS: The ApoE genotype was not associated with the visible changes occurring during this follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of ApoE4 was not associated with MRI changes during the first year after TBI. This suggests that if the ApoE4 is associated with an unfavourable outcome after TBI, the processes responsible for the repair of visible lesions are not dependent on ApoE genotype.