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Allahham A, Rowe G, Stevenson A, Fear MW, Vallence AM, Wood FM. The impact of burn injury on the central nervous system. BURNS & TRAUMA 2024; 12:tkad037. [PMID: 38312739 PMCID: PMC10835674 DOI: 10.1093/burnst/tkad037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Burn injuries can be devastating, with life-long impacts including an increased risk of hospitalization for a wide range of secondary morbidities. One area that remains not fully understood is the impact of burn trauma on the central nervous system (CNS). This review will outline the current findings on the physiological impact that burns have on the CNS and how this may contribute to the development of neural comorbidities including mental health conditions. This review highlights the damaging effects caused by burn injuries on the CNS, characterized by changes to metabolism, molecular damage to cells and their organelles, and disturbance to sensory, motor and cognitive functions in the CNS. This damage is likely initiated by the inflammatory response that accompanies burn injury, and it is often long-lasting. Treatments used to relieve the symptoms of damage to the CNS due to burn injury often target inflammatory pathways. However, there are non-invasive treatments for burn patients that target the functional and cognitive damage caused by the burn, including transcranial magnetic stimulation and virtual reality. Future research should focus on understanding the mechanisms that underpin the impact of a burn injury on the CNS, burn severity thresholds required to inflict damage to the CNS, and acute and long-term therapies to ameliorate deleterious CNS changes after a burn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amira Allahham
- Burn injury research unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Fiona Wood Foundation, 11 Robin Warren Dr, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
| | - Grant Rowe
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Perth 6150, Australia
| | - Andrew Stevenson
- Burn injury research unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Fiona Wood Foundation, 11 Robin Warren Dr, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
| | - Mark W Fear
- Burn injury research unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Fiona Wood Foundation, 11 Robin Warren Dr, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
| | - Ann-Maree Vallence
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Perth 6150, Australia
- Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch Perth 6150, Australia
- Burn Service of Western Australia, Fiona Stanley Hospital, MNH (B), Level 4, 102-118 Murdoch Drive, Murdoch, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Fiona M Wood
- Burn injury research unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Fiona Wood Foundation, 11 Robin Warren Dr, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
- School of Psychology, College of Health and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Perth 6150, Australia
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Chen J, Zhang D, Zhang J, Wang Y. Pathological changes in the brain after peripheral burns. BURNS & TRAUMA 2023; 11:tkac061. [PMID: 36865685 PMCID: PMC9972189 DOI: 10.1093/burnst/tkac061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Brain injuries are common complications in patients with thermal burns and are associated with unpleasant outcomes. In clinical settings, it was once believed that brain injuries were not major pathological processes after burn, at least in part due to the unavailability of specific clinical manifestations. Burn-related brain injuries have been studied for more than a century, but the underlying pathophysiology has not been completely clarified. This article reviews the pathological changes in the brain following peripheral burns at the anatomical, histological, cytological, molecular and cognitive levels. Therapeutic indications based on brain injury as well as future directions for research have been summarized and proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jigang Chen
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing 100045, China
| | - Danfeng Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
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Xie C, Hu J, Cheng Y, Yao Z. Researches on cognitive sequelae of burn injury: Current status and advances. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1026152. [PMID: 36408414 PMCID: PMC9672468 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1026152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Burn injury is a devastating disease with high incidence of disability and mortality. The cognitive dysfunctions, such as memory defect, are the main neurological sequelae influencing the life quality of burn-injured patients. The post-burn cognitive dysfunctions are related to the primary peripheral factors and the secondary cerebral inflammation, resulting in the destruction of blood-brain barrier (BBB), as is shown on Computed Tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging examinations. As part of the neurovascular unit, BBB is vital to the nutrition and homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) and undergoes myriad alterations after burn injury, causing post-burn cognitive defects. The diagnosis and treatment of cognitive dysfunctions as burn injury sequelae are of great importance. In this review, we address the major manifestations and interventions of post-burn cognitive defects, as well as the mechanisms involved in memory defect, including neuroinflammation, destruction of BBB, and hormone imbalance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Xie
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital and Clinical Medical College of Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Hu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong Cheng
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Central Theater Command of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhongxiang Yao
- Department of Physiology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Zhang QH, Hao JW, Li GL, Ji XJ, Zhou M, Yao YM. Long-lasting neurobehavioral alterations in burn-injured mice resembling post-traumatic stress disorder in humans. Exp Neurol 2019; 323:113084. [PMID: 31697945 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.113084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To establish an animal model for posttraumatic stress disorder in burn-injured patients. METHODS Thermal-injured mice with 15% total body surface area were subjected to a series of neurobehavioral tests at 1 and 3 months postburn. Brains were collected for analysis of key molecules expression, spleens for T cell function analysis, and blood for biochemistry and hormones detection. RESULTS Comparison with sham mice, burn mice showed extremely high locomotion in homecage, open field, and forced swimming tests, indicating a hyper-arousal state. Burn mice exhibited improved spatial memory in Morris Water Maze test and heightened context fear memory in context fear conditioning, suggesting re-experiencing behavior. Although burn mice showed pronounced passive avoidance in the step-through test, their active avoidance capability in response to the conditional stimulus in the shuttle box test was relatively deteriorated. Likewise, the retention of cue-feared memory was impaired in fear conditioning test. The above negative alterations in mood were recapitulated in open-field test, in which the burn mice displayed an anxiety-like behavior with less time spent in the center. However, no sign of depression was found in the forced swimming and sucrose preference tests. The negative mood of burn mice was reinforced by a deficit in sociality and preference for social novelty in social interaction test. These neurobehavioral alterations were associated with an increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor along with a remarkable microgliosis and a moderate astrocytosis in the brain of burn vs. sham mice. Moreover, a prominent Th2 switch and consequent increased nuclear NF-κB translocation were seen in the splenic T cells from burn relative to sham mice. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that even mild burn injury could lead to long-lasting cognitive and effective alterations in mice. These findings shed light on the interactions among neuropsychology, neurobiology, and immunology throughout the recovery period of burn injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Hong Zhang
- Trauma Research Center, Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, PR China.
| | - Ji-Wei Hao
- Trauma Research Center, Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, PR China
| | - Guang-Lei Li
- Trauma Research Center, Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, PR China
| | - Xiao-Jing Ji
- Trauma Research Center, Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, PR China; Department of Emergency, First Hospital Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, PR China
| | - Min Zhou
- Neurocritical Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, PR China
| | - Yong-Ming Yao
- Trauma Research Center, Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, PR China
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Bajorek AJ, Slocum C, Goldstein R, Mix J, Niewczyk P, Ryan CM, Hendricks CT, Zafonte R, Schneider JC. Impact of Cognition on Burn Inpatient Rehabilitation Outcomes. PM R 2017; 9:1-7. [PMID: 27404335 PMCID: PMC9968425 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2016.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A significant proportion of burn injury patients are admitted to inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs). There is increasing interest in the use of functional variables, such as cognition, in predicting IRF outcomes. Cognitive impairment is an important cause of disability in the burn injury population, yet its relationship to IRF outcomes has not been studied. OBJECTIVE To assess how cognitive function affects rehabilitation outcomes in the burn injury population. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the United States. PARTICIPANTS A total of 5347 adults admitted to an IRF with burn injury between 2002 and 2011. METHODS OR INTERVENTIONS Multivariable regression was used to model rehabilitation outcome measures, using the cognitive domain of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) instrument as the independent variable and controlling for demographic, medical, and facility covariates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS FIM total gain, readmission to an acute care setting at any time during inpatient rehabilitation, readmission to an acute care setting in the first 3 days of IRF admission, rate of discharge to the community setting, and length of stay efficiency. RESULTS Cognitive FIM total at admission was a significant predictor of FIM total gain, length of stay efficiency, and acute readmission at 3 days (P < .05). Cognitive FIM total scores did not have an impact on acute care readmission rate or discharge to the community setting. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive status may be an important predictor of rehabilitation outcomes in the burn injury population. Future work is needed to further examine the impact of specific cognitive interventions on rehabilitation outcomes in this population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Bajorek
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Chloe Slocum
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Richard Goldstein
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jacqueline Mix
- Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation, Amherst, NY
| | | | - Colleen M. Ryan
- Sumner Redstone Burn Center, Surgical Services Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Shriners Hospitals for Children-Boston, Boston, MA
| | | | - Ross Zafonte
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jeffrey C. Schneider
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, 300 First Ave, Charlestown, MA 02129
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Valproic acid treatment attenuates caspase-3 activation and improves survival after lethal burn injury in a rodent model. J Burn Care Res 2014; 35:e93-8. [PMID: 23511294 DOI: 10.1097/bcr.0b013e31828a8d32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Burn injury may result in multiple organ dysfunction partially because of apoptotic cell death. The authors have previously shown that valproic acid (VPA) improves survival in a dog burn model. The aim of this study is to examine whether a VPA improves survival in a rodent burn model and whether this was because of inhibition of cell apoptosis. Rats were subjected to third-degree 55% TBSA burns and randomized to treatment with a VPA (300 mg/kg) or normal saline. One group of animals was monitored for 12 hours for survival analysis; another group was killed at 6 hours after injury, and brains, hearts, and blood samples were harvested for examination. Plasma creatine kinase (CK)-MB activities and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels were measured to evaluate the cardiac and brain damages. The effects of a VPA on acetylation of histone H3 and caspase-3 activation were also evaluated. Major burn injury resulted in a significant decrease in the acetylation of histone H3, and there was an increase in plasma CK-MB activities, NSE concentrations, and tissue levels of activated caspase-3. A VPA treatment significantly increased the acetylation of histone H3 and survival of the animals after major burn injury. In addition, a VPA treatment significantly attenuated the plasma CK-MB activities, an NSE concentrations, and inhibited caspase-3 activation after major burn injury. These results indicate that a VPA can attenuate cardiac and brain injury, and can improve survival in a rodent model of lethal burn injury. These protective effects may be mediated in part through the inhibition of caspase-3 activation.
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Gatson JW, Maass DL, Simpkins JW, Idris AH, Minei JP, Wigginton JG. Estrogen treatment following severe burn injury reduces brain inflammation and apoptotic signaling. J Neuroinflammation 2009; 6:30. [PMID: 19849845 PMCID: PMC2774304 DOI: 10.1186/1742-2094-6-30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2009] [Accepted: 10/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Patients with severe burn injury experience a rapid elevation in multiple circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, with the levels correlating with both injury severity and outcome. Accumulations of these cytokines in animal models have been observed in remote organs, however data are lacking regarding early brain cytokine levels following burn injury, and the effects of estradiol on these levels. Using an experimental animal model, we studied the acute effects of a full-thickness third degree burn on brain levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and the protective effects of acute estrogen treatment on these levels. Additionally, the acute administration of estrogen on regulation of inflammatory and apoptotic events in the brain following severe burn injury were studied through measuring the levels of phospho-ERK, phospho-Akt, active caspase-3, and PARP cleavage in the placebo and estrogen treated groups. Methods In this study, 149 adult Sprague-Dawley male rats received 3rd degree 40% total body surface area (TBSA) burns. Fifteen minutes following burn injury, the animals received a subcutaneous injection of either placebo (n = 72) or 17 beta-estradiol (n = 72). Brains were harvested at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 hours after injury from the control (n = 5), placebo (n = 8/time point), and estrogen treated animals (n = 8/time point). The brain cytokine levels were measured using the ELISA method. In addition, we assessed the levels of phosphorylated-ERK, phosphorylated-Akt, active caspase-3, and the levels of cleaved PARP at the 24 hour time-point using Western blot analysis. Results In burned rats, 17 beta-estradiol significantly decreased the levels of brain tissue TNF-α (~25%), IL-1β (~60%), and IL-6 (~90%) when compared to the placebo group. In addition, we determined that in the estrogen-treated rats there was an increase in the levels of phospho-ERK (p < 0.01) and Akt (p < 0.05) at the 24 hour time-point, and that 17 beta-estradiol blocked the activation of caspase-3 (p < 0.01) and subsequent cleavage of PARP (p < 0.05). Conclusion Following severe burn injury, estrogens decrease both brain inflammation and the activation of apoptosis, represented by an increase in the levels of phospho-Akt and inhibition of caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage. Results from these studies will help further our understanding of how estrogens protect the brain following burn injury, and may provide a novel, safe, and effective clinical treatment to combat remote secondary burn injury in the brain and to preserve cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua W Gatson
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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Flierl MA, Stahel PF, Touban BM, Beauchamp KM, Morgan SJ, Smith WR, Ipaktchi KR. Bench-to-bedside review: Burn-induced cerebral inflammation--a neglected entity? CRITICAL CARE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE CRITICAL CARE FORUM 2009; 13:215. [PMID: 19638180 PMCID: PMC2717412 DOI: 10.1186/cc7794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Severe burn injury remains a major burden on patients and healthcare systems. Following severe burns, the injured tissues mount a local inflammatory response aiming to restore homeostasis. With excessive burn load, the immune response becomes disproportionate and patients may develop an overshooting systemic inflammatory response, compromising multiple physiological barriers in the lung, kidney, liver, and brain. If the blood–brain barrier is breached, systemic inflammatory molecules and phagocytes readily enter the brain and activate sessile cells of the central nervous system. Copious amounts of reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, proteases, cytokines/chemokines, and complement proteins are being released by these inflammatory cells, resulting in additional neuronal damage and life-threatening cerebral edema. Despite the correlation between cerebral complications in severe burn victims with mortality, burn-induced neuroinflammation continues to fly under the radar as an underestimated entity in the critically ill burn patient. In this paper, we illustrate the molecular events leading to blood–brain barrier breakdown, with a focus on the subsequent neuroinflammatory changes leading to cerebral edema in patients with severe burns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Flierl
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Denver Health Medical Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO 80204, USA.
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