Diffuse axonal injury

Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a type of brain injury that is the result of traumatic deceleration injuries of the brain. The seriousness of diffuse axonal injury means that its outcome is frequently a vegetative state, though it seldom leads to death.

Patients typically have several focal white matter lesions of variable size (1–15mm) in a characteristic distribution. These lesions are induced by rotational forces (angular momentum) as opposed to linear forces. This accounts for the findings of gray-white matter junction damage.

External links

• Emedicine.com: Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) An article on Diffuse Axonal Injury by Jeffrey R Wasserman, giving a generalized overview of Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI), its pathophysiology and other relevant information.