Adaptation after mild traumatic brain injury: The role of structural and functional brain networks

Each year, millions of people worldwide sustain a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). It is unclear why some patients recover quickly after injury, while others continue to suffer from cognitive complaints resulting in a poor long-term outcome. It has been proposed that psychological adaptation in the first weeks or months after injury, determined by adequate regulation of negative emotions and stress, is the key to successful recovery. In this dissertation, diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging were used to investigate the role of the prefrontal cortex and associated brain networks in adaptation after mTBI.