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Clay AM, Carr RL, DuBien JL, To F. Short-term behavioral and histological findings following a single concussive and repeated subconcussive brain injury in a rodent model. Brain Inj 2024; 38:827-834. [PMID: 38704844 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2024.2349144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE It is unclear of the correlation between a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and repeated subconcussive (RSC) impacts with respect to injury biomechanics. Thus, the present study was designed to determine the behavioral and histological differences between a single mTBI impact and RSC impacts with subdivided cumulative kinetic energies of the single mTBI impact. RESEARCH DESIGN Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a single mTBI impact, RSC impact, sham, or repeated sham groups. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Following a weight drop injury, anxiety-like behavior and general locomotive activity and were assessed using the open field test, while motor coordination was evaluated using a rotarod unit. Neuronal loss, astrogliosis, and microgliosis were assessed using NeuN, GFAP and Iba-1 immunohistochemistry. All assessments were undertaken at 3- and 7-days post impact. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS No behavioral disturbances were observed in injury groups, however, both injury groups did lead to microgliosis following 3-days post-impact. CONCLUSIONS No pathophysiological differences were observed between a single mTBI impact and RSC impacts of the same energy input. Even though a cumulative injury threshold for RSC impacts was not determined, a threshold still may exist where no pathodynamic shift occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Marie Clay
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA
| | - Russell L Carr
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi University, Mississippi, USA
| | - Janice L DuBien
- Department of Statistics, Mississippi University, Mississippi, USA
| | - Filip To
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA
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2
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Smith AM, Grayson BE. A strike to the head: Parallels between the pediatric and adult human and the rodent in traumatic brain injury. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25364. [PMID: 38953607 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a condition that occurs commonly in children from infancy through adolescence and is a global health concern. Pediatric TBI presents with a bimodal age distribution, with very young children (0-4 years) and adolescents (15-19 years) more commonly injured. Because children's brains are still developing, there is increased vulnerability to the effects of head trauma, which results in entirely different patterns of injury than in adults. Pediatric TBI has a profound and lasting impact on a child's development and quality of life, resulting in long-lasting consequences to physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Chronic issues like learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and emotional disturbances can develop. Early intervention and ongoing support are critical for minimizing these long-term deficits. Many animal models of TBI exist, and each varies significantly, displaying different characteristics of clinical TBI. The neurodevelopment differs in the rodent from the human in timing and effect, so TBI outcomes in the juvenile rodent can thus vary from the human child. The current review compares findings from preclinical TBI work in juvenile and adult rodents to clinical TBI research in pediatric and adult humans. We focus on the four brain regions most affected by TBI: the prefrontal cortex, corpus callosum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. Each has its unique developmental projections and thus is impacted by TBI differently. This review aims to compare the healthy neurodevelopment of these four brain regions in humans to the developmental processes in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allie M Smith
- Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Bernadette E Grayson
- Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
- Department of Population Health Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
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3
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Tang S, Xu S, Wilder D, Medina AE, Li X, Fiskum GM, Jiang L, Kakulavarapu VR, Long JB, Gullapalli RP, Sajja VS. Longitudinal Biochemical and Behavioral Alterations in a Gyrencephalic Model of Blast-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurotrauma Rep 2024; 5:254-266. [PMID: 38515547 PMCID: PMC10956534 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2024.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Blast-related traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a major cause of neurological disorders in the U.S. military that can adversely impact some civilian populations as well and can lead to lifelong deficits and diminished quality of life. Among these types of injuries, the long-term sequelae are poorly understood because of variability in intensity and number of the blast exposure, as well as the range of subsequent symptoms that can overlap with those resulting from other traumatic events (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder). Despite the valuable insights that rodent models have provided, there is a growing interest in using injury models using species with neuroanatomical features that more closely resemble the human brain. With this purpose, we established a gyrencephalic model of blast injury in ferrets, which underwent blast exposure applying conditions that closely mimic those associated with primary blast injuries to warfighters. In this study, we evaluated brain biochemical, microstructural, and behavioral profiles after blast exposure using in vivo longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging, histology, and behavioral assessments. In ferrets subjected to blast, the following alterations were found: 1) heightened impulsivity in decision making associated with pre-frontal cortex/amygdalar axis dysfunction; 2) transiently increased glutamate levels that are consistent with earlier findings during subacute stages post-TBI and may be involved in concomitant behavioral deficits; 3) abnormally high brain N-acetylaspartate levels that potentially reveal disrupted lipid synthesis and/or energy metabolism; and 4) dysfunction of pre-frontal cortex/auditory cortex signaling cascades that may reflect similar perturbations underlying secondary psychiatric disorders observed in warfighters after blast exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Tang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Su Xu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Donna Wilder
- Blast Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexandre E. Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gary M. Fiskum
- Department of Anesthesiology, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Shock, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Venkata R. Kakulavarapu
- Blast Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph B. Long
- Blast Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Rao P. Gullapalli
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Medina AE, Foxworthy WA, Keum D, Meredith MA. Development of multisensory processing in ferret parietal cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3226-3238. [PMID: 37452674 PMCID: PMC10503439 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that the nervous system adjusts itself to its environment during development. Although a great deal of effort has been directed towards understanding the developmental processes of the individual sensory systems (e.g., vision, hearing, etc.), only one major study has examined the maturation of multisensory processing in cortical neurons. Therefore, the present investigation sought to evaluate multisensory development in a different cortical region and species. Using multiple single-unit recordings in anaesthetised ferrets (n = 18) of different ages (from postnatal day 80 to 300), we studied the responses of neurons from the rostral posterior parietal (PPr) area to presentations of visual, tactile and combined visual-tactile stimulation. The results showed that multisensory neurons were infrequent at the youngest ages (pre-pubertal) and progressively increased through the later ages. Significant response changes that result from multisensory stimulation (defined as multisensory integration [MSI]) were observed in post-pubertal adolescent animals, and the magnitude of these integrated responses also increased across this age group. Furthermore, non-significant multisensory response changes were progressively increased in adolescent animals. Collectively, at the population level, MSI was observed to shift from primarily suppressive levels in infants to increasingly higher levels in later stages. These data indicate that, like the unisensory systems from which it is derived, multisensory processing shows developmental changes whose specific time course may be regionally and species-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre E. Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - W. Alex Foxworthy
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
- Department of Biology, Eastern Shore Community College, Melfa, VA
| | - Dongil Keum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - M. Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
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5
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Govindarajulu M, Patel MY, Wilder DM, Krishnan J, LaValle C, Pandya JD, Shear DA, Hefeneider SH, Long JB, Arun P. Upregulation of multiple toll-like receptors in ferret brain after blast exposure: potential targets for treatment. Neurosci Lett 2023; 810:137364. [PMID: 37391063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Although blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has been designated as the signature injury of recent combat operations, its precise pathological mechanism(s) has not been identified thus far. Prior preclinical studies on bTBI demonstrated acute neuroinflammatory cascades which are known to be contributing to neurodegeneration. Danger-associated chemical patterns are released from the injured cells, which activate non-specific pattern recognition receptors, such as toll-like receptors (TLRs) leading to increased expression of inflammatory genes and release of cytokines. Upregulation of specific TLRs in the brain has been described as a mechanism of injury in diverse brain injury models unrelated to blast exposure. However, the expression profile of various TLRs in bTBI has not been investigated thus far. Hence, we have evaluated the expression of transcripts for TLR1-TLR10 in the brain of a gyrencephalic animal model of bTBI. We exposed ferrets to tightly coupled repeated blasts and determined the differential expression of TLRs (TLR1-10) by quantitative RT-PCR in multiple brain regions at 4 hr, 24 hr, 7 days and 28 days post-blast injury. The results obtained indicate that multiple TLRs are upregulated in the brain at 4 hr, 24 hr, 7 days and 28 days post-blast. Specifically, upregulation of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 was noted in different brain regions, suggesting that multiple TLRs might play a role in the pathophysiology of bTBI and that drugs that can inhibit multiple TLRs might have enhanced efficacy to attenuate brain damage and thereby improve bTBI outcome. Taken together, these results suggest that several TLRs are upregulated in the brain after bTBI and participate in the inflammatory response and thereby provide new insights into the disease pathogenesis. Therefore, inhibition of multiple TLRs, including TLR2, 4 and 9, simultaneously might be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of bTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Govindarajulu
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Mital Y Patel
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Donna M Wilder
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Jishnu Krishnan
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Christina LaValle
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Jignesh D Pandya
- Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Deborah A Shear
- Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | | | - Joseph B Long
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Peethambaran Arun
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
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Corrigan F, Wee IC, Collins-Praino LE. Chronic motor performance following different traumatic brain injury severity-A systematic review. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1180353. [PMID: 37288069 PMCID: PMC10243142 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1180353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is now known to be a chronic disease, causing ongoing neurodegeneration and linked to increased risk of neurodegenerative motor diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. While the presentation of motor deficits acutely following traumatic brain injury is well-documented, however, less is known about how these evolve in the long-term post-injury, or how the initial severity of injury affects these outcomes. The purpose of this review, therefore, was to examine objective assessment of chronic motor impairment across the spectrum of TBI in both preclinical and clinical models. Methods PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases were searched with a search strategy containing key search terms for TBI and motor function. Original research articles reporting chronic motor outcomes with a clearly defined TBI severity (mild, repeated mild, moderate, moderate-severe, and severe) in an adult population were included. Results A total of 97 studies met the inclusion criteria, incorporating 62 preclinical and 35 clinical studies. Motor domains examined included neuroscore, gait, fine-motor, balance, and locomotion for preclinical studies and neuroscore, fine-motor, posture, and gait for clinical studies. There was little consensus among the articles presented, with extensive differences both in assessment methodology of the tests and parameters reported. In general, an effect of severity was seen, with more severe injury leading to persistent motor deficits, although subtle fine motor deficits were also seen clinically following repeated injury. Only six clinical studies investigated motor outcomes beyond 10 years post-injury and two preclinical studies to 18-24 months post-injury, and, as such, the interaction between a previous TBI and aging on motor performance is yet to be comprehensively examined. Conclusion Further research is required to establish standardized motor assessment procedures to fully characterize chronic motor impairment across the spectrum of TBI with comprehensive outcomes and consistent protocols. Longitudinal studies investigating the same cohort over time are also a key for understanding the interaction between TBI and aging. This is particularly critical, given the risk of neurodegenerative motor disease development following TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Corrigan
- Head Injury Lab, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ing Chee Wee
- Cognition, Ageing and Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Lyndsey E. Collins-Praino
- Cognition, Ageing and Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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7
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Mehkri Y, McDonald B, Sriram S, Reddy R, Kounelis-Wuillaume S, Roberts JA, Lucke-Wold B. Recent Treatment Strategies in Alzheimer's Disease and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND CLINICAL REVIEWS 2022; 7:128. [PMID: 36743825 PMCID: PMC9897211 DOI: 10.31579/2692-9406/128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Neurotrauma has been well linked to the progression of neurodegenerative disease. Much work has been done characterizing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, but less has been done regarding the contribution to Alzheimer's Disease. This review focuses on AD and its association with neurotrauma. Emerging clinical trials are discussed as well as novel mechanisms. We then address how some of these mechanisms are shared with CTE and emerging pre-clinical studies. This paper is a user-friendly resource that summarizes the emerging findings and proposes further investigation into key areas of interest. It is intended to serve as a catalyst for both research teams and clinicians in the quest to improve effective treatment and diagnostic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf Mehkri
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | | | - Sai Sriram
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Ramya Reddy
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville
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Lossi L. Anatomical features for an adequate choice of the experimental animal model in biomedicine: III. Ferret, goat, sheep, and horse. Ann Anat 2022; 244:151978. [PMID: 35787443 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2022.151978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The anatomical characteristics of each of the many species today employed in biomedical research are very important when selecting the correct animal model(s), especially for conducting translational research. In previous papers, these features have been considered for fish (D'Angelo et al. Ann. Anat, 2016, 205:75), the most common laboratory rodents, rabbits, and pigs (Lossi et al. 2016). I here follow this line of discussion by dealing with the importance of proper knowledge of ferrets, goats, sheep, and horses' main anatomical features in translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lossi
- University of Turin, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Turin, Italy; INN, Istituto Nazionale di Neuroscienze, Turin, Italy.
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Goodfellow M, Medina JA, Proctor J, Xu S, Gullapalli RP, Rangghran P, Miller C, Vesselinov A, Fiskum G. Combined traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock in ferrets leads to structural, neurochemical, and functional impairments. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:1442-1452. [PMID: 35481784 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aeromedical evacuation-relevant hypobaria after traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to increased neurologic injury and mortality in rats relative to those maintained under normobaria. However, applicability of rodent brain injury research to humans may be limited by differences in neuroanatomy. Therefore, we developed a model in which ferrets are exposed to polytrauma consisting of controlled cortical impact TBI and hemorrhagic shock subjected 24 h later to 6 h of hypobaria or normobaria. Our objective was to determine if the deleterious effects of hypobaria observed in rats, with lissencephalic brains, are also present in a species with a human-like gyrencephalic brain. While no mortality was observed, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) results obtained 2 days post-injury indicated reduced cortical creatine, N-acetylaspartate, GABA, myo-inositol, and glutamate which was not affected by hypobaria. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quantification revealed increased hyperintensity volume representing cortical edema at the site of impact following polytrauma. Hypobaria did not exacerbate this focal edema but did lead to overall reductions in total cortical volume. Both normobaric and hypobaric ferrets exhibited impaired spatial memory 6 days post-injury on the Object Location Test, but no differences were noted between groups. Finally, cortical lesion volume was not exacerbated by hypobaria exposure on day 7 post-injury. Results suggest that air travel 24 h after polytrauma is associated with structural changes in the ferret brain. Future studies should investigate secondary injury from hypobaria following polytrauma in greater detail including alternative outcome measures, timepoints, and exposure to multiple flights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Goodfellow
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, 12264, Anesthesiology, Baltimore, Maryland, United States;
| | - Juliana A Medina
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Anesthesiology, Baltimore, Maryland, United States;
| | - Julie Proctor
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Anesthesiology, 685 W Baltimore St, 534 MSTF, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201;
| | - Su Xu
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States;
| | - Rao P Gullapalli
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, 12264, Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, 670 W Batimore St, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201;
| | - Parisa Rangghran
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Anesthesiology, Baltimore, Maryland, United States;
| | - Catriona Miller
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Anesthesiology, Baltimore, Maryland, United States;
| | - Alexandra Vesselinov
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Anesthesiology, Baltimore, Maryland, United States;
| | - Gary Fiskum
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, 12264, Anesthesiology, Baltimore, Maryland, United States;
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Hutchinson EB, Romero-Lozano A, Johnson HR, Knutsen AK, Bosomtwi A, Korotcov A, Shunmugavel A, King SG, Schwerin SC, Juliano SL, Dardzinski BJ, Pierpaoli C. Translationally Relevant Magnetic Resonance Imaging Markers in a Ferret Model of Closed Head Injury. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:779533. [PMID: 35280340 PMCID: PMC8904401 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.779533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-clinical models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been the primary experimental tool for understanding the potential mechanisms and cellular alterations that follow brain injury, but the human relevance and translational value of these models are often called into question. Efforts to better recapitulate injury biomechanics and the use of non-rodent species with neuroanatomical similarities to humans may address these concerns and promise to advance experimental studies toward clinical impact. In addition to improving translational aspects of animal models, it is also advantageous to establish pre-clinical outcomes that can be directly compared with the same outcomes in humans. Non-invasive imaging and particularly MRI is promising for this purpose given that MRI is a primary tool for clinical diagnosis and at the same time increasingly available at the pre-clinical level. The objective of this study was to identify which commonly used radiologic markers of TBI outcomes can be found also in a translationally relevant pre-clinical model of TBI. The ferret was selected as a human relevant species for this study with folded cortical geometry and relatively high white matter content and the closed head injury model of engineered rotation and acceleration (CHIMERA) TBI model was selected for biomechanical similarities to human injury. A comprehensive battery of MRI protocols based on common data elements (CDEs) for human TBI was collected longitudinally for the identification of MRI markers and voxelwise analysis of T2, contrast enhancement and diffusion tensor MRI values. The most prominent MRI findings were consistent with focal hemorrhage and edema in the brain stem region following high severity injury as well as vascular and meningeal injury evident by contrast enhancement. While conventional MRI outcomes were not highly conspicuous in less severe cases, quantitative voxelwise analysis indicated diffusivity and anisotropy alterations in the acute and chronic periods after TBI. The main conclusions of this study support the translational relevance of closed head TBI models in intermediate species and identify brain stem and meningeal vulnerability. Additionally, the MRI findings highlight a subset of CDEs with promise to bridge pre-clinical studies with human TBI outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B. Hutchinson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- *Correspondence: Elizabeth B. Hutchinson,
| | | | - Hannah R. Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Andrew K. Knutsen
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Radiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Asamoah Bosomtwi
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Radiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Alexandru Korotcov
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Radiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anandakumar Shunmugavel
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sarah G. King
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Susan C. Schwerin
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sharon L. Juliano
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Bernard J. Dardzinski
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Radiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Carlo Pierpaoli
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, MD, United States
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11
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Ackermans NL, Varghese M, Wicinski B, Torres J, De Gasperi R, Pryor D, Elder GA, Gama Sosa MA, Reidenberg JS, Williams TM, Hof PR. Unconventional animal models for traumatic brain injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:2463-2477. [PMID: 34255876 PMCID: PMC8596618 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the main causes of death worldwide. It is a complex injury that influences cellular physiology, causes neuronal cell death, and affects molecular pathways in the brain. This in turn can result in sensory, motor, and behavioral alterations that deeply impact the quality of life. Repetitive mild TBI can progress into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative condition linked to severe behavioral changes. While current animal models of TBI and CTE such as rodents, are useful to explore affected pathways, clinical findings therein have rarely translated into clinical applications, possibly because of the many morphofunctional differences between the model animals and humans. It is therefore important to complement these studies with alternative animal models that may better replicate the individuality of human TBI. Comparative studies in animals with naturally evolved brain protection such as bighorn sheep, woodpeckers, and whales, may provide preventive applications in humans. The advantages of an in-depth study of these unconventional animals are threefold. First, to increase knowledge of the often-understudied species in question; second, to improve common animal models based on the study of their extreme counterparts; and finally, to tap into a source of biological inspiration for comparative studies and translational applications in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Ackermans
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Merina Varghese
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bridget Wicinski
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua Torres
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Dylan Pryor
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Gregory A Elder
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Miguel A Gama Sosa
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joy S Reidenberg
- Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Terrie M Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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12
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Schwerin SC, Chatterjee M, Hutchinson EB, Djankpa FT, Armstrong RC, McCabe JT, Perl DP, Juliano SL. Expression of GFAP and Tau Following Blast Exposure in the Cerebral Cortex of Ferrets. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 80:112-128. [PMID: 33421075 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Blast exposures are a hallmark of contemporary military conflicts. We need improved preclinical models of blast traumatic brain injury for translation of pharmaceutical and therapeutic protocols. Compared with rodents, the ferret brain is larger, has substantial sulci, gyri, a higher white to gray matter ratio, and the hippocampus in a ventral position; these attributes facilitate comparison with the human brain. In this study, ferrets received compressed air shock waves and subsequent evaluation of glia and forms of tau following survival of up to 12 weeks. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot demonstrated altered distributions of astrogliosis and tau expression after blast exposure. Many aspects of the astrogliosis corresponded to human pathology: increased subpial reactivity, gliosis at gray-white matter interfaces, and extensive outlining of blood vessels. MRI analysis showed numerous hypointensities occurring in the 12-week survival animals, appearing to correspond to luminal expansions of blood vessels. Changes in forms of tau, including phosphorylated tau, and the isoforms 3R and 4R were noted using immunohistochemistry and Western blot in specific regions of the cerebral cortex. Of particular interest were the 3R and 4R isoforms, which modified their ratio after blast. Our data strongly support the ferret as an animal model with highly translational features to study blast injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Schwerin
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth B Hutchinson
- Quantitative Medical Imaging Section, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Francis T Djankpa
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Regina C Armstrong
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph T McCabe
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel P Perl
- Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sharon L Juliano
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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13
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Gilardi C, Kalebic N. The Ferret as a Model System for Neocortex Development and Evolution. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:661759. [PMID: 33996819 PMCID: PMC8118648 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.661759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The neocortex is the largest part of the cerebral cortex and a key structure involved in human behavior and cognition. Comparison of neocortex development across mammals reveals that the proliferative capacity of neural stem and progenitor cells and the length of the neurogenic period are essential for regulating neocortex size and complexity, which in turn are thought to be instrumental for the increased cognitive abilities in humans. The domesticated ferret, Mustela putorius furo, is an important animal model in neurodevelopment for its complex postnatal cortical folding, its long period of forebrain development and its accessibility to genetic manipulation in vivo. Here, we discuss the molecular, cellular, and histological features that make this small gyrencephalic carnivore a suitable animal model to study the physiological and pathological mechanisms for the development of an expanded neocortex. We particularly focus on the mechanisms of neural stem cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation, cortical folding, visual system development, and neurodevelopmental pathologies. We further discuss the technological advances that have enabled the genetic manipulation of the ferret in vivo. Finally, we compare the features of neocortex development in the ferret with those of other model organisms.
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14
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Donat CK, Yanez Lopez M, Sastre M, Baxan N, Goldfinger M, Seeamber R, Müller F, Davies P, Hellyer P, Siegkas P, Gentleman S, Sharp DJ, Ghajari M. From biomechanics to pathology: predicting axonal injury from patterns of strain after traumatic brain injury. Brain 2021; 144:70-91. [PMID: 33454735 PMCID: PMC7990483 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between biomechanical forces and neuropathology is key to understanding traumatic brain injury. White matter tracts are damaged by high shear forces during impact, resulting in axonal injury, a key determinant of long-term clinical outcomes. However, the relationship between biomechanical forces and patterns of white matter injuries, associated with persistent diffusion MRI abnormalities, is poorly understood. This limits the ability to predict the severity of head injuries and the design of appropriate protection. Our previously developed human finite element model of head injury predicted the location of post-traumatic neurodegeneration. A similar rat model now allows us to experimentally test whether strain patterns calculated by the model predicts in vivo MRI and histology changes. Using a controlled cortical impact, mild and moderate injuries (1 and 2 mm) were performed. Focal and axonal injuries were quantified with volumetric and diffusion 9.4 T MRI at 2 weeks post injury. Detailed analysis of the corpus callosum was conducted using multi-shell diffusion MRI and histopathology. Microglia and astrocyte density, including process parameters, along with white matter structural integrity and neurofilament expression were determined by quantitative immunohistochemistry. Linear mixed effects regression analyses for strain and strain rate with the employed outcome measures were used to ascertain how well immediate biomechanics could explain MRI and histology changes. The spatial pattern of mechanical strain and strain rate in the injured cortex shows good agreement with the probability maps of focal lesions derived from volumetric MRI. Diffusion metrics showed abnormalities in the corpus callosum, indicating white matter changes in the segments subjected to high strain, as predicted by the model. The same segments also exhibited a severity-dependent increase in glia cell density, white matter thinning and reduced neurofilament expression. Linear mixed effects regression analyses showed that mechanical strain and strain rate were significant predictors of in vivo MRI and histology changes. Specifically, strain and strain rate respectively explained 33% and 28% of the reduction in fractional anisotropy, 51% and 29% of the change in neurofilament expression and 51% and 30% of microglia density changes. The work provides evidence that strain and strain rate in the first milliseconds after injury are important factors in determining patterns of glial and axonal injury and serve as experimental validators of our computational model of traumatic brain injury. Our results provide support for the use of this model in understanding the relationship of biomechanics and neuropathology and can guide the development of head protection systems, such as airbags and helmets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelius K Donat
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Yanez Lopez
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Magdalena Sastre
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Nicoleta Baxan
- Biological Imaging Centre, Central Biomedical Services, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Marc Goldfinger
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Reneira Seeamber
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Franziska Müller
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Polly Davies
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Peter Hellyer
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | | | - Steve Gentleman
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David J Sharp
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies, Imperial College London, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Care Research and Technology Centre; Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mazdak Ghajari
- Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Design Engineering, Imperial College London, UK
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15
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Kochanek PM, Jackson TC, Jha RM, Clark RS, Okonkwo DO, Bayır H, Poloyac SM, Wagner AK, Empey PE, Conley YP, Bell MJ, Kline AE, Bondi CO, Simon DW, Carlson SW, Puccio AM, Horvat CM, Au AK, Elmer J, Treble-Barna A, Ikonomovic MD, Shutter LA, Taylor DL, Stern AM, Graham SH, Kagan VE, Jackson EK, Wisniewski SR, Dixon CE. Paths to Successful Translation of New Therapies for Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in the Golden Age of Traumatic Brain Injury Research: A Pittsburgh Vision. J Neurotrauma 2020; 37:2353-2371. [PMID: 30520681 PMCID: PMC7698994 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2018.6203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
New neuroprotective therapies for severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not translated from pre-clinical to clinical success. Numerous explanations have been suggested in both the pre-clinical and clinical arenas. Coverage of TBI in the lay press has reinvigorated interest, creating a golden age of TBI research with innovative strategies to circumvent roadblocks. We discuss the need for more robust therapies. We present concepts for traditional and novel approaches to defining therapeutic targets. We review lessons learned from the ongoing work of the pre-clinical drug and biomarker screening consortium Operation Brain Trauma Therapy and suggest ways to further enhance pre-clinical consortia. Biomarkers have emerged that empower choice and assessment of target engagement by candidate therapies. Drug combinations may be needed, and it may require moving beyond conventional drug therapies. Precision medicine may also link the right therapy to the right patient, including new approaches to TBI classification beyond the Glasgow Coma Scale or anatomical phenotyping-incorporating new genetic and physiologic approaches. Therapeutic breakthroughs may also come from alternative approaches in clinical investigation (comparative effectiveness, adaptive trial design, use of the electronic medical record, and big data). The full continuum of care must also be represented in translational studies, given the important clinical role of pre-hospital events, extracerebral insults in the intensive care unit, and rehabilitation. TBI research from concussion to coma can cross-pollinate and further advancement of new therapies. Misconceptions can stifle/misdirect TBI research and deserve special attention. Finally, we synthesize an approach to deliver therapeutic breakthroughs in this golden age of TBI research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Kochanek
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Travis C. Jackson
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ruchira M. Jha
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Robert S.B. Clark
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David O. Okonkwo
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hülya Bayır
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Samuel M. Poloyac
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amy K. Wagner
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Philip E. Empey
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yvette P. Conley
- Health Promotion and Development, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael J. Bell
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anthony E. Kline
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Corina O. Bondi
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dennis W. Simon
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Shaun W. Carlson
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ava M. Puccio
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christopher M. Horvat
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alicia K. Au
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan Elmer
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amery Treble-Barna
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Milos D. Ikonomovic
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lori A. Shutter
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - D. Lansing Taylor
- University of Pittsburgh Drug Discovery Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew M. Stern
- Drug Discovery Institute, Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Steven H. Graham
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Valerian E. Kagan
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edwin K. Jackson
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Stephen R. Wisniewski
- University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - C. Edward Dixon
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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16
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Shultz SR, McDonald SJ, Corrigan F, Semple BD, Salberg S, Zamani A, Jones NC, Mychasiuk R. Clinical Relevance of Behavior Testing in Animal Models of Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2020; 37:2381-2400. [DOI: 10.1089/neu.2018.6149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sandy R. Shultz
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stuart J. McDonald
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frances Corrigan
- Department of Anatomy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bridgette D. Semple
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sabrina Salberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Akram Zamani
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nigel C. Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richelle Mychasiuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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17
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A glance at the gut microbiota of five experimental animal species through fecal samples. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16628. [PMID: 33024229 PMCID: PMC7538948 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73985-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental animals including the ferret, marmoset, woodchuck, mini pig, and tree shrew have been used in biomedical research. However, their gut microbiota have not been fully investigated. In this study, the gut microbiota of these five experimental animals were analyzed with 16S rRNA sequencing. The phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria were present in the gut microbiota of all the species. Specific phyla were present in different animals: Proteobacteria in the ferret, Tenericutes in the marmoset, and Spirochaetes in the mini pig. Fusobacterium and unidentified Clostridiales were the dominant genera in the ferret, whereas Libanicoccus, Lactobacillus, Porphyromonas, and Peptoclostridium were specific to marmoset, mini pig, woodchuck, and tree shrew, respectively. A clustering analysis showed that the overall distribution of microbial species in the guts of these species mirrored their mammalian phylogeny, and the microbiota of the marmoset and tree shrew showed the closest bray_curtis distances to that of humans. PICRUSt functional prediction separated the woodchuck from the other species, which may reflect its herbivorous diet. In conclusion, both the evolutionary phylogeny and daily diet affect the gut microbiota of these experimental animals, which should not be neglected for their usage in biomedical research.
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18
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Kinder HA, Baker EW, Howerth EW, Duberstein KJ, West FD. Controlled Cortical Impact Leads to Cognitive and Motor Function Deficits that Correspond to Cellular Pathology in a Piglet Traumatic Brain Injury Model. J Neurotrauma 2019; 36:2810-2826. [PMID: 31084390 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2019.6405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, with children who sustain a TBI having a greater risk of developing long-lasting cognitive, behavioral, and motor function deficits. This has led to increased interest in utilizing large animal models to study pathophysiologic and functional changes after injury in hopes of identifying novel therapeutic targets. In the present study, a controlled cortical impact (CCI) piglet TBI model was utilized to evaluate cognitive, motor, and histopathologic outcomes. CCI injury (4 m/sec velocity, 9 mm depression, 400 msec dwell time) was induced at the parietal cortex. Compared with normal pigs (n = 5), TBI pigs (n = 5) exhibited appreciable cognitive deficiencies, including significantly impaired spatial memory in spatial T-maze testing and a significant decrease in exploratory behaviors followed by marked hyperactivity in open field testing. Additionally, gait analysis revealed significant increases in cycle time and stance percent, significant decreases in hind reach, and a shift in the total pressure index from the front to the hind limb on the affected side, suggesting TBI impairs gait and balance. Pigs were sacrificed 28 days post-TBI and histological analysis revealed that TBI lead to a significant decrease in neurons and a significant increase in microglia activation and astrogliosis/astrocytosis at the perilesional area, a significant loss in neurons at the dorsal hippocampus, and significantly increased neuroblast proliferation at the subventricular zone. These data demonstrate a strong relationship between TBI-induced cellular changes and functional outcomes in our piglet TBI model that lay the framework for future studies that assess the ability of therapeutic interventions to contribute to functional improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly A Kinder
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.,Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Emily W Baker
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.,Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Elizabeth W Howerth
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.,Department of Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Kylee J Duberstein
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.,Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Franklin D West
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.,Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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19
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Armstead WM, Vavilala MS. Improving Understanding and Outcomes of Traumatic Brain Injury Using Bidirectional Translational Research. J Neurotrauma 2019; 37:2372-2380. [PMID: 30834818 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2018.6119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent clinical trials in traumatic brain injury (TBI) have failed to demonstrate therapeutic effects even when there appears to be good evidence for efficacy in one or more appropriate pre-clinical models. While existing animal models mimic the injury, difficulties in translating promising therapeutics are exacerbated by the lack of alignment of discrete measures of the underlying injury pathology between the animal models and human subjects. To address this mismatch, we have incorporated reverse translation of bedside experience to inform pre-clinical studies in a large animal (pig) model of TBI that mirror practical clinical assessments. Cerebral autoregulation is impaired after TBI, contributing to poor outcome. Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) is often normalized by use of vasoactive agents to increase mean arterial pressure (MAP) and thereby limit impairment of cerebral autoregulation and neurological deficits. Vasoactive agents clinically used to elevate MAP to increase CPP after TBI, such as phenylephrine (Phe), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EPI), however, have not been compared sufficiently regarding effect on CPP, autoregulation, and survival after TBI, and clinically, current vasoactive agent use is variable. The cerebral effects of these clinically commonly used vasoactive agents are not known. This review will emphasize pediatric work and will describe bidirectional translational studies using a more human-like animal model of TBI to identify better therapeutic strategies to improve outcome post-injury. These studies in addition investigated the mechanism(s) involved in improvement of outcome in the setting of TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Armstead
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Monica S Vavilala
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pediatrics, and Neurological Surgery, and Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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20
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Finan JD. Biomechanical simulation of traumatic brain injury in the rat. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2019; 64:114-121. [PMID: 29449041 PMCID: PMC6068009 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2018.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury poses an enormous clinical challenge. Rats are the animals most widely used in pre-clinical experiments. Biomechanical simulations of these experiments predict the distribution of mechanical stress and strain across key tissues. It is in theory possible to dramatically increase our understanding of traumatic brain injury pathophysiology by correlating stress and strain with histological and functional injury outcomes. This review summarizes the state of the art in biomechanical simulation of traumatic brain injury in the rat. It also places this body of knowledge in the context of the wider effort to understand traumatic brain injury in rats and in humans. METHODS Peer-reviewed research articles on biomechanical simulation of traumatic brain injury in the rat were reviewed and summarized. FINDINGS When mathematical models of traumatic brain injury in the rat first emerged, they relied on scant data regarding biomechanical properties. The data on relevant biomechanical properties has increased recently. However, experimental models of traumatic brain injury in the rat have also become less homogeneous. New and modified models have emerged that are biomechanically distinct from traditional models. INTERPRETATION Important progress in mathematical modeling and measurement of biomechanical properties has led to credible, predictive simulations of traditional, experimental models of traumatic brain injury in the rat, such as controlled cortical impact. However, recent trends such as the increasing popularity of closed head models and blast models create new biomechanical challenges. Investigators studying rat brain biomechanics must continue to innovate to keep pace with these developments.
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Gangolli M, Benetatos J, Esparza TJ, Fountain EM, Seneviratne S, Brody DL. Repetitive Concussive and Subconcussive Injury in a Human Tau Mouse Model Results in Chronic Cognitive Dysfunction and Disruption of White Matter Tracts, But Not Tau Pathology. J Neurotrauma 2019; 36:735-755. [PMID: 30136628 PMCID: PMC6387572 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2018.5700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the unmet need for a means to study chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in vivo, there have been numerous efforts to develop an animal model of this progressive tauopathy. However, there is currently no consensus in the field on an injury model that consistently reproduces the neuropathological and behavioral features of CTE. We have implemented a repetitive Closed-Head Impact Model of Engineered Rotational Acceleration (CHIMERA) injury paradigm in human transgenic (hTau) mice. Animals were subjected to daily subconcussive or concussive injuries for 20 days and tested acutely, 3 months, and 12 months post-injury for deficits in social behavior, anxiety, spatial learning and memory, and depressive behavior. Animals also were assessed for chronic tau pathology, astrogliosis, and white matter degeneration. Repetitive concussive injury caused acute deficits in Morris water maze performance, including reduced swimming speed and increased distance to the platform during visible and hidden platform phases that persisted during the subacute and chronic time-points following injury. We found evidence of white matter disruption in animals injured with subconcussive and concussive injuries, with the most severe disruption occurring in the repetitive concussive injury group. Severity of white matter disruption in the corpus callosum was moderately correlated with swimming speed, while white matter disruption in the fimbria showed weak but significant correlation with worse performance during probe trial. There was no evidence of tau pathology or astrogliosis in sham or injured animals. In summary, we show that repetitive brain injury produces persistent behavioral abnormalities as late as 1 year post-injury that may be related to chronic white matter disruption, although the relationship with CTE remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihika Gangolli
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joseph Benetatos
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Thomas J. Esparza
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Emeka M. Fountain
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Shamilka Seneviratne
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - David L. Brody
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
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Baker EW, Kinder HA, Hutcheson JM, Duberstein KJJ, Platt SR, Howerth EW, West FD. Controlled Cortical Impact Severity Results in Graded Cellular, Tissue, and Functional Responses in a Piglet Traumatic Brain Injury Model. J Neurotrauma 2019; 36:61-73. [DOI: 10.1089/neu.2017.5551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emily W. Baker
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Holly A. Kinder
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Jessica M. Hutcheson
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Kylee Jo J. Duberstein
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Simon R. Platt
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Elizabeth W. Howerth
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Franklin D. West
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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Maternal Immune Activation Alters Adult Behavior, Gut Microbiome and Juvenile Brain Oscillations in Ferrets. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0313-18. [PMID: 30406186 PMCID: PMC6220580 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0313-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) has been identified as a causal factor in psychiatric disorders by epidemiological studies in humans and mechanistic studies in rodent models. Addressing this gap in species between mice and human will accelerate the understanding of the role of MIA in the etiology of psychiatric disorders. Here, we provide the first study of MIA in the ferret (Mustela putorius furo), an animal model with a rich history of developmental investigations due to the similarities in developmental programs and cortical organization with primates. We found that after MIA by injection of PolyIC in the pregnant mother animal, the adult offspring exhibited reduced social behavior, less eye contact with humans, decreased recognition memory, a sex-specific increase in amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion, and altered gut microbiome. We also studied the neurophysiological properties of the MIA ferrets in development by in-vivo recordings of the local field potential (LFP) from visual cortex in five- to six-week-old animals, and found that the spontaneous and sensory-evoked LFP had decreased power, especially in the gamma frequency band. Overall, our results provide the first evidence for the detrimental effect of MIA in ferrets and support the use of the ferret as an intermediate model species for the study of disorders with neurodevelopmental origin.
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Hutchinson EB, Schwerin SC, Radomski KL, Sadeghi N, Komlosh ME, Irfanoglu MO, Juliano SL, Pierpaoli C. Detection and Distinction of Mild Brain Injury Effects in a Ferret Model Using Diffusion Tensor MRI (DTI) and DTI-Driven Tensor-Based Morphometry (D-TBM). Front Neurosci 2018; 12:573. [PMID: 30174584 PMCID: PMC6107703 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is highly prevalent but lacks both research tools with adequate sensitivity to detect cellular alterations that accompany mild injury and pre-clinical models that are able to robustly mimic hallmark features of human TBI. To address these related challenges, high-resolution diffusion tensor MRI (DTI) analysis was performed in a model of mild TBI in the ferret - a species that, unlike rodents, share with humans a gyrencephalic cortex and high white matter (WM) volume. A set of DTI image analysis tools were optimized and implemented to explore key features of DTI alterations in ex vivo adult male ferret brains (n = 26), evaluated 1 day to 16 weeks after mild controlled cortical impact (CCI). Using template-based ROI analysis, lesion overlay mapping and DTI-driven tensor-based morphometry (D-TBM) significant differences in DTI and morphometric values were found and their dependence on time after injury evaluated. These observations were also qualitatively compared with immunohistochemistry staining of neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in the same tissue. Focal DTI abnormalities including reduced cortical diffusivity were apparent in 12/13 injured brains with greatest lesion extent found acutely following CCI by ROI overlay maps and reduced WM FA in the chronic period was observed near to the CCI site (ANOVA for FA in focal WM: time after CCI p = 0.046, brain hemisphere p = 0.0012) often in regions without other prominent MRI abnormalities. Global abnormalities were also detected, especially for WM regions, which demonstrated reduced diffusivity (ANOVA for Trace: time after CCI p = 0.007) and atrophy that appeared to become more extensive and bilateral with longer time after injury (ANOVA for D-TBM Log of the Jacobian values: time after CCI p = 0.007). The findings of this study extend earlier work in rodent models especially by evaluation of focal WM abnormalities that are not influenced by partial volume effects in the ferret. There is also substantial overlap between DTI and morphometric findings in this model and those from human studies of mTBI implying that the combination of DTI tools with a human-similar model system can provide an advantageous and informative approach for mTBI research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B. Hutchinson
- Section on Quantitative Medical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Susan C. Schwerin
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kryslaine L. Radomski
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Neda Sadeghi
- Section on Quantitative Imaging and Tissue Sciences, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michal E. Komlosh
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
- Section on Quantitative Imaging and Tissue Sciences, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - M. O. Irfanoglu
- Section on Quantitative Medical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sharon L. Juliano
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Carlo Pierpaoli
- Section on Quantitative Medical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Ryan MC, Kochunov P, Sherman PM, Rowland LM, Wijtenburg SA, Acheson A, Hong LE, Sladky J, McGuire S. Miniature pig magnetic resonance spectroscopy model of normal adolescent brain development. J Neurosci Methods 2018; 308:173-182. [PMID: 30099002 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We are developing the miniature pig (Sus scrofa domestica), an in-vivo translational, gyrencephalic model for brain development, as an alternative to laboratory rodents/non-human primates. We analyzed longitudinal changes in adolescent pigs using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and examined the relationship with white matter (WM) integrity derived from diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). NEW METHOD Twelve female Sinclair™ pigs underwent three imaging/spectroscopy sessions every 23.95 ± 3.73 days beginning at three months of age using a clinical 3 T scanner. 1H-MRS data were collected using 1.2 × 1.0 × 3.0 cm voxels placed in left and right hemisphere WM using a Point Resolved Spectroscopy sequence (TR = 2000 ms, TE = 30 ms). Concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, myo-inositol (MI), glutamate + glutamine, choline, creatine, and macromolecules (MM) 09 and 14 were averaged from both hemispheres. DWI data were collected using 15 shells of b-values (b = 0-3500 s/mm2) with 32 directions/shell and fit using the WM Tract Integrity model to calculate fractional anisotropy (FA), kurtosis anisotropy (KA) and permeability-diffusivity index. RESULTS MI and MM09 significantly declined with age. Increased FA and KA significantly correlated with decline in MI and MM09. Correlations lost significance once corrected for age. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS MRI scanners/protocols can be used to collect 1H-MRS and DWI data in pigs. Pigs have a larger, more complex, gyrencephalic brain than laboratory rodents but are less complex than non-human primates, thus satisfying the "replacement" principle of animal research. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal effects in MRS measurements were similar to those reported in adolescent humans. MRS changes correlated with diffusion measurements indicating ongoing WM myelination/maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghann C Ryan
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States.
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States.
| | - Paul M Sherman
- U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Aeromedical Research Department, 2510 5th Street, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7913, United States; Department of Radiology, 59thMedical Wing, 1100 Wilford Hall Loop, Bldg 4551, Joint Base San Antonio, TX, 78236, United States.
| | - Laura M Rowland
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States.
| | - S Andrea Wijtenburg
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States.
| | - Ashley Acheson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham St., Little Rock, AR, 72205, United States.
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States.
| | - John Sladky
- U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Aeromedical Research Department, 2510 5th Street, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7913, United States; Department of Neurology, 59th Medical Wing, 1100 Wilford Hall Loop, Bldg 4551, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland AFB, TX, 78236, United States.
| | - Stephen McGuire
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, United States.
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Kochanek PM, Dixon CE, Mondello S, Wang KKK, Lafrenaye A, Bramlett HM, Dietrich WD, Hayes RL, Shear DA, Gilsdorf JS, Catania M, Poloyac SM, Empey PE, Jackson TC, Povlishock JT. Multi-Center Pre-clinical Consortia to Enhance Translation of Therapies and Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury: Operation Brain Trauma Therapy and Beyond. Front Neurol 2018; 9:640. [PMID: 30131759 PMCID: PMC6090020 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Current approaches have failed to yield success in the translation of neuroprotective therapies from the pre-clinical to the clinical arena for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Numerous explanations have been put forth in both the pre-clinical and clinical arenas. Operation Brain Trauma Therapy (OBTT), a pre-clinical therapy and biomarker screening consortium has, to date, evaluated 10 therapies and assessed three serum biomarkers in nearly 1,500 animals across three rat models and a micro pig model of TBI. OBTT provides a unique platform to exploit heterogeneity of TBI and execute the research needed to identify effective injury specific therapies toward precision medicine. It also represents one of the first multi-center pre-clinical consortia for TBI, and through its work has yielded insight into the challenges and opportunities of this approach. In this review, important concepts related to consortium infrastructure, modeling, therapy selection, dosing and target engagement, outcomes, analytical approaches, reproducibility, and standardization will be discussed, with a focus on strategies to embellish and improve the chances for future success. We also address issues spanning the continuum of care. Linking the findings of optimized pre-clinical consortia to novel clinical trial designs has great potential to help address the barriers in translation and produce successes in both therapy and biomarker development across the field of TBI and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Kochanek
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - C. Edward Dixon
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Stefania Mondello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- Oasi Research Institute (IRCCS), Troina, Italy
| | - Kevin K. K. Wang
- Program for Neuroproteomics and Biomarkers Research, Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Audrey Lafrenaye
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Helen M. Bramlett
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - W. Dalton Dietrich
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Ronald L. Hayes
- Center for Innovative Research, Center for Neuroproteomics and Biomarkers Research, Banyan Biomarkers Research, Banyan Biomarkers, Inc., Alachua, FL, United States
| | - Deborah A. Shear
- Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Janice S. Gilsdorf
- Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | | | - Samuel M. Poloyac
- Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Center for Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Philip E. Empey
- Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Center for Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Clinical Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Travis C. Jackson
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - John T. Povlishock
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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27
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Ryan MC, Sherman P, Rowland LM, Wijtenburg SA, Acheson A, Fieremans E, Veraart J, Novikov DS, Hong LE, Sladky J, Peralta PD, Kochunov P, McGuire SA. Miniature pig model of human adolescent brain white matter development. J Neurosci Methods 2018; 296:99-108. [PMID: 29277719 PMCID: PMC5817010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroscience research in brain development and disorders can benefit from an in vivo animal model that portrays normal white matter (WM) development trajectories and has a sufficiently large cerebrum for imaging with human MRI scanners and protocols. NEW METHOD Twelve three-month-old Sinclair™ miniature pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) were longitudinally evaluated during adolescent development using advanced diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) focused on cerebral WM. Animals had three MRI scans every 23.95 ± 3.73 days using a 3-T scanner. The DWI imaging protocol closely modeled advanced human structural protocols and consisted of fifteen b-shells (b = 0-3500 s/mm2) with 32-directions/shell. DWI data were analyzed using diffusion kurtosis and bi-exponential modeling that provided measurements that included fractional anisotropy (FA), radial kurtosis, kurtosis anisotropy (KA), axial kurtosis, tortuosity, and permeability-diffusivity index (PDI). RESULTS Significant longitudinal effects of brain development were observed for whole-brain average FA, KA, and PDI (all p < 0.001). There were expected regional differences in trends, with corpus callosum fibers showing the highest rate of change. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) Pigs have a large, gyrencephalic brain that can be studied using clinical MRI scanners/protocols. Pigs are less complex than non-human primates thus satisfying the "replacement" principle of animal research. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal effects were observed for whole-brain and regional diffusion measurements. The changes in diffusion measurements were interepreted as evidence for ongoing myelination and maturation of cerebral WM. Corpus callosum and superficial cortical WM showed the expected higher rates of change, mirroring results in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghann C Ryan
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States
| | - Paul Sherman
- U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Aeromedical Research Department, 2510 5th Street, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7913, United States
| | - Laura M Rowland
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States
| | - S Andrea Wijtenburg
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States
| | - Ashley Acheson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham St, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
| | - Els Fieremans
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, 660 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Jelle Veraart
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, 660 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Dmitry S Novikov
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, 660 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States
| | - John Sladky
- U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Aeromedical Research Department, 2510 5th Street, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7913, United States; Department of Neurology, 59th Medical Wing, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Suite 1, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland AFB, TX 78236, United States
| | - P Dana Peralta
- Department of Neurology, 59th Medical Wing, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Suite 1, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland AFB, TX 78236, United States
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, United States.
| | - Stephen A McGuire
- U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Aeromedical Research Department, 2510 5th Street, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7913, United States; Department of Neurology, 59th Medical Wing, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Suite 1, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland AFB, TX 78236, United States
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28
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Schwerin SC, Chatterjee M, Imam-Fulani AO, Radomski KL, Hutchinson EB, Pierpaoli CM, Juliano SL. Progression of histopathological and behavioral abnormalities following mild traumatic brain injury in the male ferret. J Neurosci Res 2018; 96:556-572. [PMID: 29360208 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
White matter damage is an important consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans. Unlike rodents, ferrets have a substantial amount of white matter and a gyrencephalic brain; therefore, they may represent an ideal small mammal model to study human-pertinent consequences of TBI. Here we report immunohistochemical and behavioral results after a controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury to the sensorimotor cortex of adult male ferrets. We assessed inflammation in the neocortex and white matter, and behavior at 1 day post injury and 1, 4, and 16 weeks post injury (WPI). CCI in the ferret produced inflammation that originated in the neocortex near the site of the injury and progressed deep into the white matter with time. The density of microglia and astrocytes increased in the neocortex near the injury, peaking at 4WPI and remaining elevated at 16WPI. Microglial morphology in the neocortex was significantly altered in the first 4 weeks, but showed a return toward normal at 16 weeks. Clusters of microglial cells in the white matter persisted until 16WPI. We assessed motor and cognitive behavior using the open field, novel object recognition, T-maze, and gait tests. A transient deficit in memory occurred at 4WPI, with a reduction of rearing and motor ability at 12 and 16WPI. Behavioral impairments coincide with features of the inflammatory changes in the neocortex revealed by immunohistochemistry. The ferret represents an important animal model to explore ongoing damage in the white matter and cerebral cortex after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Schwerin
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mitali Chatterjee
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Aminat O Imam-Fulani
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kryslaine L Radomski
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Elizabeth B Hutchinson
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Quantitative Medical Imaging Section, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Carlo M Pierpaoli
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Quantitative Medical Imaging Section, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sharon L Juliano
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
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29
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Osier N, Dixon CE. Mini Review of Controlled Cortical Impact: A Well-Suited Device for Concussion Research. Brain Sci 2017; 7:E88. [PMID: 28726717 PMCID: PMC5532601 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7070088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is increasingly recognized as a significant public health problem which warrants additional research. Part of the effort to understand mTBI and concussion includes modeling in animals. Controlled cortical impact (CCI) is a commonly employed and well-characterized model of experimental TBI that has been utilized for three decades. Today, several commercially available pneumatic- and electromagnetic-CCI devices exist as do a variety of standard and custom injury induction tips. One of CCI's strengths is that it can be scaled to a number of common laboratory animals. Similarly, the CCI model can be used to produce graded TBI ranging from mild to severe. At the mild end of the injury spectrum, CCI has been applied in many ways, including to study open and closed head mTBI, repeated injuries, and the long-term deficits associated with mTBI and concussion. The purpose of this mini-review is to introduce the CCI model, discuss ways the model can be applied to study mTBI and concussion, and compare CCI to alternative pre-clinical TBI models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Osier
- School of Nursing, Holistic Adult Health Division, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78701, USA.
- Dell Medical School, Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78701, USA.
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- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA.
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