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Sachdeva T, Ganpule SG. Twenty Years of Blast-Induced Neurotrauma: Current State of Knowledge. Neurotrauma Rep 2024; 5:243-253. [PMID: 38515548 PMCID: PMC10956535 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2024.0001] [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-induced neurotrauma (BINT) is an important injury paradigm of neurotrauma research. This short communication summarizes the current knowledge of BINT. We divide the BINT research into several broad categories-blast wave generation in laboratory, biomechanics, pathology, behavioral outcomes, repetitive blast in animal models, and clinical and neuroimaging investigations in humans. Publications from 2000 to 2023 in each subdomain were considered. The analysis of the literature has brought out salient aspects. Primary blast waves can be simulated reasonably in a laboratory using carefully designed shock tubes. Various biomechanics-based theories of BINT have been proposed; each of these theories may contribute to BINT by generating a unique biomechanical signature. The injury thresholds for BINT are in the nascent stages. Thresholds for rodents are reasonably established, but such thresholds (guided by primary blast data) are unavailable in humans. Single blast exposure animal studies suggest dose-dependent neuronal pathologies predominantly initiated by blood-brain barrier permeability and oxidative stress. The pathologies were typically reversible, with dose-dependent recovery times. Behavioral changes in animals include anxiety, auditory and recognition memory deficits, and fear conditioning. The repetitive blast exposure manifests similar pathologies in animals, however, at lower blast overpressures. White matter irregularities and cortical volume and thickness alterations have been observed in neuroimaging investigations of military personnel exposed to blast. Behavioral changes in human cohorts include sleep disorders, poor motor skills, cognitive dysfunction, depression, and anxiety. Overall, this article provides a concise synopsis of current understanding, consensus, controversies, and potential future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarun Sachdeva
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
| | - Shailesh G. Ganpule
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
- Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
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2
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Elder GA, Gama Sosa MA, De Gasperi R, Perez Garcia G, Perez GM, Abutarboush R, Kawoos U, Zhu CW, Janssen WGM, Stone JR, Hof PR, Cook DG, Ahlers ST. The Neurovascular Unit as a Locus of Injury in Low-Level Blast-Induced Neurotrauma. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1150. [PMID: 38256223 PMCID: PMC10816929 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021150] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Blast-induced neurotrauma has received much attention over the past decade. Vascular injury occurs early following blast exposure. Indeed, in animal models that approximate human mild traumatic brain injury or subclinical blast exposure, vascular pathology can occur in the presence of a normal neuropil, suggesting that the vasculature is particularly vulnerable. Brain endothelial cells and their supporting glial and neuronal elements constitute a neurovascular unit (NVU). Blast injury disrupts gliovascular and neurovascular connections in addition to damaging endothelial cells, basal laminae, smooth muscle cells, and pericytes as well as causing extracellular matrix reorganization. Perivascular pathology becomes associated with phospho-tau accumulation and chronic perivascular inflammation. Disruption of the NVU should impact activity-dependent regulation of cerebral blood flow, blood-brain barrier permeability, and glymphatic flow. Here, we review work in an animal model of low-level blast injury that we have been studying for over a decade. We review work supporting the NVU as a locus of low-level blast injury. We integrate our findings with those from other laboratories studying similar models that collectively suggest that damage to astrocytes and other perivascular cells as well as chronic immune activation play a role in the persistent neurobehavioral changes that follow blast injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A. Elder
- Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.A.G.S.); (R.D.G.)
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (C.W.Z.); (P.R.H.)
| | - Miguel A. Gama Sosa
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.A.G.S.); (R.D.G.)
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.A.G.S.); (R.D.G.)
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA;
| | - Georgina Perez Garcia
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA;
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA;
| | - Gissel M. Perez
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA;
| | - Rania Abutarboush
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical ResearchCommand, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (R.A.); (U.K.); (S.T.A.)
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Usmah Kawoos
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical ResearchCommand, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (R.A.); (U.K.); (S.T.A.)
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Carolyn W. Zhu
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (C.W.Z.); (P.R.H.)
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA;
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - William G. M. Janssen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - James R. Stone
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia, 480 Ray C Hunt Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA;
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (C.W.Z.); (P.R.H.)
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - David G. Cook
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108, USA;
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Stephen T. Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical ResearchCommand, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (R.A.); (U.K.); (S.T.A.)
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3
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Gama Sosa MA, De Gasperi R, Pryor D, Perez Garcia GS, Perez GM, Abutarboush R, Kawoos U, Hogg S, Ache B, Sowa A, Tetreault T, Varghese M, Cook DG, Zhu CW, Tappan SJ, Janssen WGM, Hof PR, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. Late chronic local inflammation, synaptic alterations, vascular remodeling and arteriovenous malformations in the brains of male rats exposed to repetitive low-level blast overpressures. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:81. [PMID: 37173747 PMCID: PMC10176873 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01553-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In the course of military operations in modern war theaters, blast exposures are associated with the development of a variety of mental health disorders associated with a post-traumatic stress disorder-related features, including anxiety, impulsivity, insomnia, suicidality, depression, and cognitive decline. Several lines of evidence indicate that acute and chronic cerebral vascular alterations are involved in the development of these blast-induced neuropsychiatric changes. In the present study, we investigated late occurring neuropathological events associated with cerebrovascular alterations in a rat model of repetitive low-level blast-exposures (3 × 74.5 kPa). The observed events included hippocampal hypoperfusion associated with late-onset inflammation, vascular extracellular matrix degeneration, synaptic structural changes and neuronal loss. We also demonstrate that arteriovenous malformations in exposed animals are a direct consequence of blast-induced tissue tears. Overall, our results further identify the cerebral vasculature as a main target for blast-induced damage and support the urgent need to develop early therapeutic approaches for the prevention of blast-induced late-onset neurovascular degenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Gama Sosa
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Dylan Pryor
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Georgina S Perez Garcia
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Gissel M Perez
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Rania Abutarboush
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Usmah Kawoos
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Seth Hogg
- Micro Photonics, Inc, 1550 Pond Road, Suite 110, Allentown, PA, 18104, USA
| | - Benjamin Ache
- Micro Photonics, Inc, 1550 Pond Road, Suite 110, Allentown, PA, 18104, USA
| | - Allison Sowa
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | | | - Merina Varghese
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - David G Cook
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Carolyn W Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Susan J Tappan
- MBF Bioscience LLC, 185 Allen Brook Lane, Williston, VT, 05495, USA
| | - William G M Janssen
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Stephen T Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - Gregory A Elder
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
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Baskin BM, Logsdon AF, Janet Lee S, Foresi BD, Peskind E, Banks WA, Cook DG, Schindler AG. Timing matters: Sex differences in inflammatory and behavioral outcomes following repetitive blast mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:222-236. [PMID: 36907289 PMCID: PMC10106404 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repetitive blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) caused by exposure to high explosives is increasingly common among warfighters as well as civilians. While women have been serving in military positions with increased risk of blast exposure since 2016, there are few published reports examining sex as a biological variable in models of blast mTBI, greatly limiting diagnosis and treatment capabilities. As such, here we examined outcomes of repetitive blast trauma in female and male mice in relation to potential behavioral, inflammatory, microbiome, and vascular dysfunction at multiple timepoints. METHODS In this study we utilized a well-established blast overpressure model to induce repetitive (3x) blast-mTBI in both female and male mice. Acutely following repetitive exposure, we measured serum and brain cytokine levels, blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, fecal microbial abundance, and locomotion and anxiety-like behavior in the open field assay. At the one-month timepoint, in female and male mice we assessed behavioral correlates of mTBI and PTSD-related symptoms commonly reported by Veterans with a history of blast-mTBI using the elevated zero maze, acoustic startle, and conditioned odorant aversion paradigms. RESULTS Repetitive blast exposure resulted in both similar (e.g., increased IL-6), and disparate (e.g., IL-10 increase only in females) patterns of acute serum and brain cytokine as well as gut microbiome changes in female and male mice. Acute BBB disruption following repetitive blast exposure was apparent in both sexes. While female and male blast mice both exhibited acute locomotor and anxiety-like deficits in the open field assay, only male mice exhibited adverse behavioral outcomes that lasted at least one-month. DISCUSSION Representing a novel survey of potential sex differences following repetitive blast trauma, our results demonstrate unique similar yet divergent patterns of blast-induced dysfunction in female vs. male mice and highlight novel targets for future diagnosis and therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britahny M Baskin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Aric F Logsdon
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Suhjung Janet Lee
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Brian D Foresi
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA
| | - Elaine Peskind
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - William A Banks
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David G Cook
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Abigail G Schindler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.
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5
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Garcia GP, Perez GM, Gasperi RD, Sosa MAG, Otero-Pagan A, Abutarboush R, Kawoos U, Statz JK, Patterson J, Zhu CW, Hof PR, Cook DG, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. (2R,6R)-Hydroxynorketamine Treatment of Rats Exposed to Repetitive Low-Level Blast Injury. Neurotrauma Rep 2023; 4:197-217. [PMID: 37020715 PMCID: PMC10068674 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2022.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many military veterans who experienced blast-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from chronic cognitive and mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Male rats subjected to repetitive low-level blast exposure develop chronic cognitive and PTSD-related traits that develop in a delayed manner. Ketamine has received attention as a treatment for refractory depression and PTSD. (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine [(2R,6R)-HNK] is a ketamine metabolite that exerts rapid antidepressant actions. (2R,6R)-HNK has become of clinical interest because of its favorable side-effect profile, low abuse potential, and oral route of administration. We treated three cohorts of blast-exposed rats with (2R,6R)-HNK, beginning 7-11 months after blast exposure, a time when the behavioral phenotype is established. Each cohort consisted of groups (n = 10-13/group) as follows: 1) Sham-exposed treated with saline, 2) blast-exposed treated with saline, and 3) blast-exposed treated with a single dose of 20 mg/kg of (2R,6R)-HNK. (2R,6R)-HNK rescued blast-induced deficits in novel object recognition (NOR) and anxiety-related features in the elevated zero maze (EZM) in all three cohorts. Exaggerated acoustic startle was reversed in cohort 1, but not in cohort 3. (2R,6R)-HNK effects were still present in the EZM 12 days after administration in cohort 1 and 27 days after administration in NOR testing of cohorts 2 and 3. (2R,6R)-HNK may be beneficial for the neurobehavioral syndromes that follow blast exposure in military veterans. Additional studies will be needed to determine whether higher doses or more extended treatment regimens may be more effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Perez Garcia
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gissel M. Perez
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Miguel A. Gama Sosa
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Alena Otero-Pagan
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Rania Abutarboush
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Usmah Kawoos
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan K. Statz
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jacob Patterson
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Carolyn W. Zhu
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David G. Cook
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephen T. Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Gregory A. Elder
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
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6
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Gasperi RD, Gama Sosa MA, Perez Garcia GS, Perez GM, Abutarboush R, Kawoos U, Statz JK, Patterson J, Hof PR, Katsel P, Cook DG, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. Progressive Transcriptional Changes in the Amygdala Implicate Neuroinflammation in the Effects of Repetitive Low-Level Blast Exposure in Male Rats. J Neurotrauma 2023; 40:561-577. [PMID: 36262047 PMCID: PMC10040418 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic mental health problems are common among military veterans who sustained blast-related traumatic brain injuries. The reasons for this association remain unexplained. Male rats exposed to repetitive low-level blast overpressure (BOP) exposures exhibit chronic cognitive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related traits that develop in a delayed fashion. We examined blast-induced alterations on the transcriptome in four brain areas (anterior cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebellum) across the time frame over which the PTSD-related behavioral phenotype develops. When analyzed at 6 weeks or 12 months after blast exposure, relatively few differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found. However, longitudinal analysis of amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cortex between 6 weeks and 12 months revealed blast-specific DEG patterns. Six DEGs (hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein 1 [Hapln1], glutamate metabotropic receptor 2 [Grm2], purinergic receptor P2y12 [P2ry12], C-C chemokine receptor type 5 [Ccr5], phenazine biosynthesis-like protein domain containing 1 [Pbld1], and cadherin related 23 [Cdh23]) were found altered in all three brain regions in blast-exposed animals. Pathway enrichment analysis using all DEGs or those uniquely changed revealed different transcription patterns in blast versus sham. In particular, the amygdala in blast-exposed animals had a unique set of enriched pathways related to stress responses, oxidative phosphorylation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Upstream analysis implicated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α signaling in blast-related effects in amygdala and anterior cortex. Eukaryotic initiating factor eIF4E (EIF4e), an upstream regulator of P2ry12 and Ccr5, was predicted to be activated in the amygdala. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) validated longitudinal changes in two TNFα regulated genes (cathepsin B [Ctsb], Hapln1), P2ry12, and Grm2. These studies have implications for understanding how blast injury damages the brain and implicates inflammation as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita De Gasperi
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Miguel A. Gama Sosa
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Georgina S. Perez Garcia
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gissel M. Perez
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Rania Abutarboush
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Usmah Kawoos
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan K. Statz
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jacob Patterson
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Parsons Corporation, Centreville, Virginia, USA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Department of Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Pavel Katsel
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David G. Cook
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephen T. Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Gregory A. Elder
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
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7
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Perez-Garcia G, Bicak M, Haure-Mirande JV, Perez GM, Otero-Pagan A, Gama Sosa MA, De Gasperi R, Sano M, Barlow C, Gage FH, Readhead B, Ehrlich ME, Gandy S, Elder GA. BCI-838, an orally active mGluR2/3 receptor antagonist pro-drug, rescues learning behavior deficits in the PS19 MAPT P301S mouse model of tauopathy. Neurosci Lett 2023; 797:137080. [PMID: 36657633 PMCID: PMC9974759 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137080] [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: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders that are clinically and pathologically distinct from Alzheimer's disease (AD) having tau inclusions in neurons and/or glia as their most prominent neuropathological feature. BCI-838 (MGS00210) is a group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR2/3) antagonist pro-drug. Previously, we reported that orally administered BCI-838 improved learning behavior and reduced anxiety in Dutch (APPE693Q) transgenic mice, a model of the pathological accumulation of Aβ oligomers found in AD. Herein, we investigated effects of BCI-838 on PS19 male mice that express the tauopathy mutation MAPTP301S associated with human frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). These mice develop an aging-related tauopathy without amyloid accumulation. Mice were divided into three experimental groups: (1) non-transgenic wild type mice treated with vehicle, (2) PS19 mice treated with vehicle and (3) PS19 mice treated with 5 mg/kg BCI-838. Groups of 10-13 mice were utilized. Vehicle or BCI-838 was administered by oral gavage for 4 weeks. Behavioral testing consisting of a novel object recognition task was conducted after drug administration. Two studies were performed beginning treatment of mice at 3 or 7 months of age. One month of BCI-838 treatment rescued deficits in recognition memory in PS19 mice whether treatment was begun at 3 or 7 months of age. These studies extend the potential utility of BCI-838 to neurodegenerative conditions that have tauopathy as their underlying basis. They also suggest an mGluR2/3 dependent mechanism as a basis for the behavioral deficits in PS19 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Perez-Garcia
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Research and Development, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Mesude Bicak
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | | | - Gissel M Perez
- Research and Development, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Alena Otero-Pagan
- Research and Development, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Miguel A Gama Sosa
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Research and Development, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Mary Sano
- Research and Development, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Carrolee Barlow
- BrainCells Inc., La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; EScape Bio, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Fred H Gage
- BrainCells Inc., La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Benjamin Readhead
- Arizona State University-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Michelle E Ehrlich
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sam Gandy
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Research and Development, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mount Sinai Center for Cognitive Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Gregory A Elder
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Neurology Service, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
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8
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Hoglund BK, Carfagno V, Olive MF, Leyrer-Jackson JM. Metabotropic glutamate receptors and cognition: From underlying plasticity and neuroprotection to cognitive disorders and therapeutic targets. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 168:367-413. [PMID: 36868635 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are G protein-coupled receptors that play pivotal roles in mediating the activity of neurons and other cell types within the brain, communication between cell types, synaptic plasticity, and gene expression. As such, these receptors play an important role in a number of cognitive processes. In this chapter, we discuss the role of mGlu receptors in various forms of cognition and their underlying physiology, with an emphasis on cognitive dysfunction. Specifically, we highlight evidence that links mGlu physiology to cognitive dysfunction across brain disorders including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Fragile X syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. We also provide recent evidence demonstrating that mGlu receptors may elicit neuroprotective effects in particular disease states. Lastly, we discuss how mGlu receptors can be targeted utilizing positive and negative allosteric modulators as well as subtype specific agonists and antagonist to restore cognitive function across these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon K Hoglund
- Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Vincent Carfagno
- School of Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, United States
| | - M Foster Olive
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Jonna M Leyrer-Jackson
- Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix, AZ, United States.
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9
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Hoffman AN, Watson S, Chavda N, Lam J, Hovda DA, Giza CC, Fanselow MS. Increased Fear Generalization and Amygdala AMPA Receptor Proteins in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:1561-1574. [PMID: 35722903 PMCID: PMC9689770 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0119] [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] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive impairments and emotional lability are common long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). How TBI affects interactions between sensory, cognitive, and emotional systems may reveal mechanisms that underlie chronic mental health comorbidities. Previously, we reported changes in auditory-emotional network activity and enhanced fear learning early after TBI. In the current study, we asked whether TBI has long-term effects on fear learning and responses to novel stimuli. Four weeks following lateral fluid percussion injury (FPI) or sham surgery, adult male rats were fear conditioned to either white noise-shock or tone-shock pairing, or shock-only control and subsequently were tested for freezing to context and to the trained or novel auditory cues in a new context. FPI groups showed greater freezing to their trained auditory cue, indicating long-term TBI enhanced fear. Interestingly, FPI-Noise Shock animals displayed robust fear to the novel, untrained tone compared with Sham-Noise Shock across both experiments. Shock Only groups did not differ in freezing to either auditory stimulus. These findings suggest that TBI precipitates maladaptive associative fear generalization rather than non-associative sensitization. Basolateral amygdala (BLA) α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAr) subunits GluA1 and GluA2 levels were analyzed and the FPI-Noise Shock group had increased GluA1 (but not GluA2) levels that correlated with the level of tone fear generalization. This study illustrates a unique chronic TBI phenotype with both a cognitive impairment and increased fear and possibly altered synaptic transmission in the amygdala long after TBI, where stimulus generalization may underlie maladaptive fear and hyperarousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann N. Hoffman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Injury Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sonya Watson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Injury Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nishtha Chavda
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jamie Lam
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - David A. Hovda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Injury Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Christopher C. Giza
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Injury Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Mattel Children's Hospital, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michael S. Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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10
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11
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Braga MFM, Juranek J, Eiden LE, Li Z, Figueiredo TH, de Araujo Furtado M, Marini AM. GABAergic circuits of the basolateral amygdala and generation of anxiety after traumatic brain injury. Amino Acids 2022; 54:1229-1249. [PMID: 35798984 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-022-03184-y] [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: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has reached epidemic proportions around the world and is a major public health concern in the United States. Approximately 2.8 million individuals sustain a traumatic brain injury and are treated in an Emergency Department yearly in the U.S., and about 50,000 of them die. Persistent symptoms develop in 10-15% of the cases including neuropsychiatric disorders. Anxiety is the second most common neuropsychiatric disorder that develops in those with persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms after TBI. Abnormalities or atrophy in the temporal lobe has been shown in the overwhelming number of TBI cases. The basolateral amygdala (BLA), a temporal lobe structure that consolidates, stores and generates fear and anxiety-based behavioral outputs, is a critical brain region in the anxiety circuitry. In this review, we sought to capture studies that characterized the relationship between human post-traumatic anxiety and structural/functional alterations in the amygdala. We compared the human findings with results obtained with a reproducible mild TBI animal model that demonstrated a direct relationship between the alterations in the BLA and an anxiety-like phenotype. From this analysis, both preliminary insights, and gaps in knowledge, have emerged which may open new directions for the development of rational and more efficacious treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria F M Braga
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of the Health Science School of Medicine, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Jenifer Juranek
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lee E Eiden
- Section On Molecular Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Zheng Li
- Section On Synapse Development and Plasticity, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Taiza H Figueiredo
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of the Health Science School of Medicine, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Marcio de Araujo Furtado
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of the Health Science School of Medicine, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Ann M Marini
- Department of Neurology and Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
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12
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Siedhoff HR, Chen S, Song H, Cui J, Cernak I, Cifu DX, DePalma RG, Gu Z. Perspectives on Primary Blast Injury of the Brain: Translational Insights Into Non-inertial Low-Intensity Blast Injury. Front Neurol 2022; 12:818169. [PMID: 35095749 PMCID: PMC8794583 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.818169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Most traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) during military deployment or training are clinically "mild" and frequently caused by non-impact blast exposures. Experimental models were developed to reproduce the biological consequences of high-intensity blasts causing moderate to severe brain injuries. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms of low-intensity blast (LIB)-induced neurological deficits have been understudied. This review provides perspectives on primary blast-induced mild TBI models and discusses translational aspects of LIB exposures as defined by standardized physical parameters including overpressure, impulse, and shock wave velocity. Our mouse LIB-exposure model, which reproduces deployment-related scenarios of open-field blast (OFB), caused neurobehavioral changes, including reduced exploratory activities, elevated anxiety-like levels, impaired nesting behavior, and compromised spatial reference learning and memory. These functional impairments associate with subcellular and ultrastructural neuropathological changes, such as myelinated axonal damage, synaptic alterations, and mitochondrial abnormalities occurring in the absence of gross- or cellular damage. Biochemically, we observed dysfunctional mitochondrial pathways that led to elevated oxidative stress, impaired fission-fusion dynamics, diminished mitophagy, decreased oxidative phosphorylation, and compensated cell respiration-relevant enzyme activity. LIB also induced increased levels of total tau, phosphorylated tau, and amyloid β peptide, suggesting initiation of signaling cascades leading to neurodegeneration. We also compare translational aspects of OFB findings to alternative blast injury models. By scoping relevant recent research findings, we provide recommendations for future preclinical studies to better reflect military-operational and clinical realities. Overall, better alignment of preclinical models with clinical observations and experience related to military injuries will facilitate development of more precise diagnosis, clinical evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R. Siedhoff
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, United States
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital Research Service, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Shanyan Chen
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, United States
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital Research Service, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Hailong Song
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, United States
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital Research Service, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Jiankun Cui
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, United States
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital Research Service, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Ibolja Cernak
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA, United States
| | - David X. Cifu
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Ralph G. DePalma
- Office of Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Zezong Gu
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, United States
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital Research Service, Columbia, MO, United States
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13
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Perez Garcia G, Perez GM, Otero-Pagan A, Abutarboush R, Kawoos U, De Gasperi R, Gama Sosa MA, Pryor D, Hof PR, Cook DG, Gandy S, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. Transcranial Laser Therapy Does Not Improve Cognitive and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Related Behavioral Traits in Rats Exposed to Repetitive Low-Level Blast Injury. Neurotrauma Rep 2021; 2:548-563. [PMID: 34901948 PMCID: PMC8655798 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2021.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many military veterans who experienced blast-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from chronic cognitive and mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Transcranial laser therapy (TLT) uses low-power lasers emitting light in the far- to near-infrared ranges. Beneficial effects of TLT have been reported in neurological and mental-health-related disorders in humans and animal models, including TBI. Rats exposed to repetitive low-level blast develop chronic cognitive and PTSD-related behavioral traits. We tested whether TLT treatment could reverse these traits. Rats received a 74.5-kPa blast or sham exposures delivered one per day for 3 consecutive days. Beginning at 34 weeks after blast exposure, the following groups of rats were treated with active or sham TLT: 1) Sham-exposed rats (n = 12) were treated with sham TLT; 2) blast-exposed rats (n = 13) were treated with sham TLT; and 3) blast-exposed rats (n = 14) were treated with active TLT. Rats received 5 min of TLT five times per week for 6 weeks (wavelength, 808 nm; power of irradiance, 240 mW). At the end of treatment, rats were tested in tasks found previously to be most informative (novel object recognition, novel object localization, contextual/cued fear conditioning, elevated zero maze, and light/dark emergence). TLT did not improve blast-related effects in any of these tests, and blast-exposed rats were worse after TLT in some anxiety-related measures. Based on these findings, TLT does not appear to be a promising treatment for the chronic cognitive and mental health problems that follow blast injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Perez Garcia
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gissel M. Perez
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Alena Otero-Pagan
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Rania Abutarboush
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Usmah Kawoos
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Miguel A. Gama Sosa
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Dylan Pryor
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David G. Cook
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sam Gandy
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Barbara and Maurice A. Deane Center for Wellness and Cognitive Health and the Mount Sinai NFL Neurological Care Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephen T. Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Gregory A. Elder
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
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14
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Anderson LM, Samineni S, Wilder DM, Lara M, Eken O, Urioste R, Long JB, Arun P. The Neurobehavioral Effects of Buprenorphine and Meloxicam on a Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury Model in the Rat. Front Neurol 2021; 12:746370. [PMID: 34712199 PMCID: PMC8545992 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.746370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous findings have indicated that pain relieving medications such as opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be neuroprotective after traumatic brain injury in rodents, but only limited studies have been performed in a blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) model. In addition, many pre-clinical TBI studies performed in rodents did not use analgesics due to the possibility of neuroprotection or other changes in cognitive, behavioral, and pathology outcomes. To examine this in a pre-clinical setting, we examined the neurobehavioral changes in rats given a single pre-blast dose of meloxicam, buprenorphine, or no pain relieving medication and exposed to tightly-coupled repeated blasts in an advanced blast simulator and evaluated neurobehavioral functions up to 28 days post-blast. A 16.7% mortality rate was recorded in the rats treated with buprenorphine, which might be attributed to the physiologically depressive side effects of buprenorphine in combination with isoflurane anesthesia and acute brain injury. Rats given buprenorphine, but not meloxicam, took more time to recover from the isoflurane anesthesia given just before blast. We found that treatment with meloxicam protected repeated blast-exposed rats from vestibulomotor dysfunctions up to day 14, but by day 28 the protective effects had receded. Both pain relieving medications seemed to promote short-term memory deficits in blast-exposed animals, whereas vehicle-treated blast-exposed animals showed only a non-significant trend toward worsening short-term memory by day 27. Open field exploratory behavior results showed that blast exposed rats treated with meloxicam engaged in significantly more locomotor activities and possibly a lesser degree of responses thought to reflect anxiety and depressive-like behaviors than any of the other groups. Rats treated with analgesics to alleviate possible pain from the blast ate more than their counterparts that were not treated with analgesics, which supports that both analgesics were effective in alleviating some of the discomfort that these rats potentially experienced post-blast injury. These results suggest that meloxicam and, to a lesser extent buprenorphine alter a variety of neurobehavioral functions in a rat bTBI model and, because of their impact on these neurobehavioral changes, may be less than ideal analgesic agents for pre-clinical studies evaluating these neurobehavioral responses after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Anderson
- Veterinary Services Program, Center for Enabling Capabilities, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Sridhar Samineni
- Veterinary Services Program, Center for Enabling Capabilities, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Donna M Wilder
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Marisela Lara
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Ondine Eken
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Rodrigo Urioste
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Joseph B Long
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Peethambaran Arun
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
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15
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Nonaka M, Taylor WW, Bukalo O, Tucker LB, Fu AH, Kim Y, McCabe JT, Holmes A. Behavioral and Myelin-Related Abnormalities after Blast-Induced Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice. J Neurotrauma 2021; 38:1551-1571. [PMID: 33605175 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In civilian and military settings, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common consequence of impacts to the head, sudden blows to the body, and exposure to high-energy atmospheric shockwaves from blast. In some cases, mTBI from blast exposure results in long-term emotional and cognitive deficits and an elevated risk for certain neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we tested the effects of mTBI on various forms of auditory-cued fear learning and other measures of cognition in male C57BL/6J mice after single or repeated blast exposure (blast TBI; bTBI). bTBI produced an abnormality in the temporal organization of cue-induced freezing behavior in a conditioned trace fear test. Spatial working memory, evaluated by the Y-maze task performance, was also deleteriously affected by bTBI. Reverse-transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis for glial markers indicated an alteration in the expression of myelin-related genes in the hippocampus and corpus callosum 1-8 weeks after bTBI. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses detected bTBI-related myelin and axonal damage in the hippocampus and corpus callosum. Together, these data suggest a possible link between blast-induced mTBI, myelin/axonal injury, and cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mio Nonaka
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - William W Taylor
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Olena Bukalo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura B Tucker
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Preclinical Studies Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Amanda H Fu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Preclinical Studies Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yeonho Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Preclinical Studies Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph T McCabe
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Preclinical Studies Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland, USA
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16
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Schindler AG, Baskin B, Juarez B, Janet Lee S, Hendrickson R, Pagulayan K, Zweifel LS, Raskind MA, Phillips PEM, Peskind ER, Cook DG. Repetitive blast mild traumatic brain injury increases ethanol sensitivity in male mice and risky drinking behavior in male combat veterans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1051-1064. [PMID: 33760264 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common in civilians and highly prevalent among military service members. mTBI can increase health risk behaviors (e.g., sensation seeking, impulsivity) and addiction risk (e.g., for alcohol use disorder (AUD)), but how mTBI and substance use might interact to promote addiction risk remains poorly understood. Likewise, potential differences in single vs. repetitive mTBI in relation to alcohol use/abuse have not been previously examined. METHODS Here, we examined how a history of single (1×) or repetitive (3×) blast exposure (blast-mTBI) affects ethanol (EtOH)-induced behavioral and physiological outcomes using an established mouse model of blast-mTBI. To investigate potential translational relevance, we also examined self-report responses to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption questions (AUDIT-C), a widely used measure to identify potential hazardous drinking and AUD, and used a novel unsupervised machine learning approach to investigate whether a history of blast-mTBI affected drinking behaviors in Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans. RESULTS Both single and repetitive blast-mTBI in mice increased the sedative properties of EtOH (with no change in tolerance or metabolism), but only repetitive blast potentiated EtOH-induced locomotor stimulation and shifted EtOH intake patterns. Specifically, mice exposed to repetitive blasts showed increased consumption "front-loading" (e.g., a higher rate of consumption during an initial 2-h acute phase of a 24-h alcohol access period and decreased total daily intake) during an intermittent 2-bottle choice condition. Examination of AUDIT-C scores in Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans revealed an optimal 3-cluster solution: "low" (low intake and low frequency), "frequent" (low intake and high frequency), and "risky" (high intake and high frequency), where Veterans with a history of blast-mTBI displayed a shift in cluster assignment from "frequent" to "risky," as compared to Veterans who were deployed to Iraq/Afghanistan but had no lifetime history of TBI. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results offer new insight into how blast-mTBI may give increase AUD risk and highlight the increased potential for adverse health risk behaviors following repetitive blast-mTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail G Schindler
- VA Northwest Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Britahny Baskin
- VA Northwest Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Barbara Juarez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Suhjung Janet Lee
- VA Northwest Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rebecca Hendrickson
- VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kathleen Pagulayan
- VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Murray A Raskind
- VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Paul E M Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elaine R Peskind
- VA Northwest Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David G Cook
- VA Northwest Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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17
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McCorkle TA, Barson JR, Raghupathi R. A Role for the Amygdala in Impairments of Affective Behaviors Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:601275. [PMID: 33746719 PMCID: PMC7969709 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.601275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in chronic affective disorders such as depression, anxiety, and fear that persist up to years following injury and significantly impair the quality of life for patients. Although a great deal of research has contributed to defining symptoms of mild TBI, there are no adequate drug therapies for brain-injured individuals. Preclinical studies have modeled these deficits in affective behaviors post-injury to understand the underlying mechanisms with a view to developing appropriate treatment strategies. These studies have also unveiled sex differences that contribute to the varying phenotypes associated with each behavior. Although clinical and preclinical studies have viewed these behavioral deficits as separate entities with unique neurobiological mechanisms, mechanistic similarities suggest that a novel approach is needed to advance research on drug therapy. This review will discuss the circuitry involved in the expression of deficits in affective behaviors following mild TBI in humans and animals and provide evidence that the manifestation of impairment in these behaviors stems from an amygdala-dependent emotional processing deficit. It will highlight mechanistic similarities between these different types of affective behaviors that can potentially advance mild TBI drug therapy by investigating treatments for the deficits in affective behaviors as one entity, requiring the same treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor A. McCorkle
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jessica R. Barson
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ramesh Raghupathi
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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18
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Perez Garcia G, De Gasperi R, Gama Sosa MA, Perez GM, Otero-Pagan A, Pryor D, Abutarboush R, Kawoos U, Hof PR, Dickstein DL, Cook DG, Gandy S, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. Laterality and region-specific tau phosphorylation correlate with PTSD-related behavioral traits in rats exposed to repetitive low-level blast. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:33. [PMID: 33648608 PMCID: PMC7923605 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01128-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Military veterans who experience blast-related traumatic brain injuries often suffer from chronic cognitive and neurobehavioral syndromes. Reports of abnormal tau processing following blast injury have raised concerns that some cases may have a neurodegenerative basis. Rats exposed to repetitive low-level blast exhibit chronic neurobehavioral traits and accumulate tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (Thr181). Using data previously reported in separate studies we tested the hypothesis that region-specific patterns of Thr181 phosphorylation correlate with behavioral measures also previously determined and reported in the same animals. Elevated p-tau Thr181 in anterior neocortical regions and right hippocampus correlated with anxiety as well as fear learning and novel object localization. There were no correlations with levels in amygdala or posterior neocortical regions. Particularly striking were asymmetrical effects on the right and left hippocampus. No systematic variation in head orientation toward the blast wave seems to explain the laterality. Levels did not correlate with behavioral measures of hyperarousal. Results were specific to Thr181 in that no correlations were observed for three other phospho-acceptor sites (threonine 231, serine 396, and serine 404). No consistent correlations were linked with total tau. These correlations are significant in suggesting that p-tau accumulation in anterior neocortical regions and the hippocampus may lead to disinhibited amygdala function without p-tau elevation in the amygdala itself. They also suggest an association linking blast injury with tauopathy, which has implications for understanding the relationship of chronic blast-related neurobehavioral syndromes in humans to neurodegenerative diseases.
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19
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Toro CA, Hansen J, Siddiq MM, Johnson K, Zhao W, Azulai D, Das DK, Bauman W, Sebra R, Cai D, Iyengar R, Cardozo CP. The Human ApoE4 Variant Reduces Functional Recovery and Neuronal Sprouting After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury in Male Mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:626192. [PMID: 33679326 PMCID: PMC7930340 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.626192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating form of neurotrauma. Patients who carry one or two apolipoprotein E (ApoE)4 alleles show worse functional outcomes and longer hospital stays after SCI, but the cellular and molecular underpinnings for this genetic link remain poorly understood. Thus, there is a great need to generate animal models to accurately replicate the genetic determinants of outcomes after SCI to spur development of treatments that improve physical function. Here, we examined outcomes after a moderate contusion SCI of transgenic mice expressing human ApoE3 or ApoE4. ApoE4 mice have worse locomotor function and coordination after SCI. Histological examination revealed greater glial staining in ApoE4 mice after SCI associated with reduced levels of neuronal sprouting markers. Bulk RNA sequencing revealed that subcellular processes (SCPs), such as extracellular matrix organization and inflammatory responses, were highly ranked among upregulated genes at 7 days after SCI in ApoE4 variants. Conversely, SCPs related to neuronal action potential and neuron projection development were increased in ApoE3 mice at 21 days. In summary, our results reveal a clinically relevant SCI mouse model that recapitulates the influence of ApoE genotypes on post SCI function in individuals who carry these alleles and suggest that the mechanisms underlying worse recovery for ApoE4 animals involve glial activation and loss of sprouting and synaptic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Toro
- National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jens Hansen
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mustafa M Siddiq
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kaitlin Johnson
- National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, United States
| | - Wei Zhao
- National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, United States
| | - Daniella Azulai
- National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, United States
| | - Dibash K Das
- National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, United States
| | - William Bauman
- National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, United States
| | - Robert Sebra
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Studies, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Dongming Cai
- Department of Neurology, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ravi Iyengar
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Christopher P Cardozo
- National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Rehabilitative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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20
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Perez Garcia G, Perez GM, De Gasperi R, Gama Sosa MA, Otero-Pagan A, Pryor D, Abutarboush R, Kawoos U, Hof PR, Cook DG, Gandy S, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. Progressive Cognitive and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Related Behavioral Traits in Rats Exposed to Repetitive Low-Level Blast. J Neurotrauma 2021; 38:2030-2045. [PMID: 33115338 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many military veterans who experienced blast-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan currently have chronic cognitive and mental health problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Besides static symptoms, new symptoms may emerge or existing symptoms may worsen. TBI is also a risk factor for later development of neurodegenerative diseases. In rats exposed to repetitive low-level blast overpressure (BOP), robust and enduring cognitive and PTSD-related behavioral traits develop that are present for at least one year after blast exposure. Here we determined the time-course of the appearance of these traits by testing rats in the immediate post-blast period. Three cohorts of rats examined within the first eight weeks exhibited no behavioral phenotype or, in one cohort, features of anxiety. None showed the altered cued fear responses or impaired novel object recognition characteristic of the fully developed phenotype. Two cohorts retested 36 to 42 weeks after blast exposure exhibited the expanded behavioral phenotype including anxiety as well as altered cued fear learning and impaired novel object recognition. Combined with previous work, the chronic behavioral phenotype has been observed in six cohorts of blast-exposed rats studied at 3-4 months or longer after blast injury, and the three cohorts studied here document the progressive nature of the cognitive/behavioral phenotype. These studies suggest the existence of a latent, delayed emerging and progressive blast-induced cognitive and behavioral phenotype. The delayed onset has implications for the evolution of post-blast neurobehavioral syndromes in military veterans and its modeling in experimental animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Perez Garcia
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gissel M Perez
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Miguel A Gama Sosa
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Alena Otero-Pagan
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Dylan Pryor
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Rania Abutarboush
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.,The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Usmah Kawoos
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.,The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Department of Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David G Cook
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sam Gandy
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Barbara and Maurice A. Deane Center for Wellness and Cognitive Health, and the Mount Sinai NFL Neurological Care Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephen T Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Gregory A Elder
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
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21
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Brain and blood biomarkers of tauopathy and neuronal injury in humans and rats with neurobehavioral syndromes following blast exposure. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:5940-5954. [PMID: 32094584 PMCID: PMC7484380 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0674-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for the later development of neurodegenerative diseases that may have various underlying pathologies. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in particular is associated with repetitive mild TBI (mTBI) and is characterized pathologically by aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau into neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). CTE may be suspected when behavior, cognition, and/or memory deteriorate following repetitive mTBI. Exposure to blast overpressure from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has been implicated as a potential antecedent for CTE amongst Iraq and Afghanistan Warfighters. In this study, we identified biomarker signatures in rats exposed to repetitive low-level blast that develop chronic anxiety-related traits and in human veterans exposed to IED blasts in theater with behavioral, cognitive, and/or memory complaints. Rats exposed to repetitive low-level blasts accumulated abnormal hyperphosphorylated tau in neuronal perikarya and perivascular astroglial processes. Using positron emission tomography (PET) and the [18F]AV1451 (flortaucipir) tau ligand, we found that five of 10 veterans exhibited excessive retention of [18F]AV1451 at the white/gray matter junction in frontal, parietal, and temporal brain regions, a typical localization of CTE tauopathy. We also observed elevated levels of neurofilament light (NfL) chain protein in the plasma of veterans displaying excess [18F]AV1451 retention. These findings suggest an association linking blast injury, tauopathy, and neuronal injury. Further study is required to determine whether clinical, neuroimaging, and/or fluid biomarker signatures can improve the diagnosis of long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae of mTBI.
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22
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Gregory KJ, Goudet C. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. CXI. Pharmacology, Signaling, and Physiology of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors. Pharmacol Rev 2020; 73:521-569. [PMID: 33361406 DOI: 10.1124/pr.119.019133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors respond to glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, mediating a modulatory role that is critical for higher-order brain functions such as learning and memory. Since the first mGlu receptor was cloned in 1992, eight subtypes have been identified along with many isoforms and splice variants. The mGlu receptors are transmembrane-spanning proteins belonging to the class C G protein-coupled receptor family and represent attractive targets for a multitude of central nervous system disorders. Concerted drug discovery efforts over the past three decades have yielded a wealth of pharmacological tools including subtype-selective agents that competitively block or mimic the actions of glutamate or act allosterically via distinct sites to enhance or inhibit receptor activity. Herein, we review the physiologic and pathophysiological roles for individual mGlu receptor subtypes including the pleiotropic nature of intracellular signal transduction arising from each. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties of prototypical and commercially available orthosteric agonists and antagonists as well as allosteric modulators, including ligands that have entered clinical trials. Finally, we highlight emerging areas of research that hold promise to facilitate rational design of highly selective mGlu receptor-targeting therapeutics in the future. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The metabotropic glutamate receptors are attractive therapeutic targets for a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Over the past three decades, intense discovery efforts have yielded diverse pharmacological tools acting either competitively or allosterically, which have enabled dissection of fundamental biological process modulated by metabotropic glutamate receptors and established proof of concept for many therapeutic indications. We review metabotropic glutamate receptor molecular pharmacology and highlight emerging areas that are offering new avenues to selectively modulate neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Gregory
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (K.J.G.) and Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), Montpellier, France (C.G.)
| | - Cyril Goudet
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (K.J.G.) and Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), Montpellier, France (C.G.)
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23
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Aravind A, Ravula AR, Chandra N, Pfister BJ. Behavioral Deficits in Animal Models of Blast Traumatic Brain Injury. Front Neurol 2020; 11:990. [PMID: 33013653 PMCID: PMC7500138 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Blast exposure has been identified to be the most common cause for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in soldiers. Over the years, rodent models to mimic blast exposures and the behavioral outcomes observed in veterans have been developed extensively. However, blast tube design and varying experimental parameters lead to inconsistencies in the behavioral outcomes reported across research laboratories. This review aims to curate the behavioral outcomes reported in rodent models of blast TBI using shockwave tubes or open field detonations between the years 2008–2019 and highlight the important experimental parameters that affect behavioral outcome. Further, we discuss the role of various design parameters of the blast tube that can affect the nature of blast exposure experienced by the rodents. Finally, we assess the most common behavioral tests done to measure cognitive, motor, anxiety, auditory, and fear conditioning deficits in blast TBI (bTBI) and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aswati Aravind
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Arun Reddy Ravula
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Namas Chandra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Bryan J Pfister
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
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Murugan M, Ravula A, Gandhi A, Vegunta G, Mukkamalla S, Mujib W, Chandra N. Chemokine signaling mediated monocyte infiltration affects anxiety-like behavior following blast injury. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 88:340-352. [PMID: 32240765 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation of resident microglia and infiltrated monocytes are known potent mediators of chronic neuroinflammation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study, we use a mouse model of blast-induced TBI (bTBI) to investigate whether microglia and monocytes contribute to the neuroinflammatory and behavioral consequences of bTBI. Eight-ten week old mice were subject to moderate TBI (180 kPa) in a shock tube. Using double transgenic CCR2RFP/+: CX3CR1GFP/+ mice, we were able to note that in addition to resident Cx3CR1+ microglia, infiltrating CCR2+ monocytes also contributed to the expanding macrophage population that was observed after bTBI. The microglia activation and monocyte infiltration occurred as early as 4 h and lasted up to 30d after blast exposure, suggesting chronic inflammation. The infiltration of monocytes may be partly mediated by chemokine CCL2-CCR2 signaling axis and compromised blood brain barrier permeability. Hence, bTBI-induced infiltration of monocytes and production of IL-1β were prevented in mice lacking CCR2 (CCR2 KO). Finally, this study showed that interference of monocyte infiltration using CCR2 KO, ameliorated the chronic effects of bTBI such as anxiety-like behavior and short-term memory decline. Taken together, these data suggest that bTBI leads to activation of both resident microglia and infiltrated monocytes. The infiltration of monocytes was partly mediated by CCL2-CCR2 signaling, which in turn contributes to increased production of IL-1β leading to behavioral deficits after bTBI. Furthermore, bTBI induced behavioral outcomes were reduced by targeting CCL2-CCR2 signaling, highlighting the significance of this signaling axis in bTBI pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhuvika Murugan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Arunreddy Ravula
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Ajay Gandhi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Geetasravya Vegunta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Sushni Mukkamalla
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Waleed Mujib
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Namas Chandra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics Materials and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States.
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Gondré-Lewis MC, Bassey R, Blum K. Pre-clinical models of reward deficiency syndrome: A behavioral octopus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:164-188. [PMID: 32360413 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with mood disorders or with addiction, impulsivity and some personality disorders can share in common a dysfunction in how the brain perceives reward, where processing of natural endorphins or the response to exogenous dopamine stimulants is impaired. Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) is a polygenic trait with implications that suggest cross-talk between different neurological systems that include the known reward pathway, neuroendocrine systems, and motivational systems. In this review we evaluate well-characterized animal models for their construct validity and as potential models for RDS. Animal models used to study substance use disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), early life stress, immune dysregulation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compulsive gambling and compulsive eating disorders are discussed. These disorders recruit underlying reward deficiency mechanisms in multiple brain centers. Because of the widespread and remarkable array of associated/overlapping behavioral manifestations with a common root of hypodopaminergia, the basic endophenotype recognized as RDS is indeed likened to a behavioral octopus. We conclude this review with a look ahead on how these models can be used to investigate potential therapeutics that target the underlying common deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie C Gondré-Lewis
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W Street, NW, Washington D.C., 20059, United States; Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W Street, NW, Washington D.C., 20059, United States.
| | - Rosemary Bassey
- Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W Street, NW, Washington D.C., 20059, United States; Department of Science Education, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, United States
| | - Kenneth Blum
- Western University Health Sciences, Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences, Pomona, California, United States
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Dieter JN, Engel SD. Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Comorbid Consequences of War. Neurosci Insights 2019; 14:1179069519892933. [PMID: 32363347 PMCID: PMC7176398 DOI: 10.1177/1179069519892933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientific literature is reviewed supporting a “consequence of war syndrome (CWS)” in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn soldiers. CWS constituents include chronic pain and insomnia, other physical complaints, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and neuropsychological deficits. The foundation of CWS lies with the chronic stressors inherent to deployment and the cascade of biological events mediated and maintained by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation. Such dysregulation is modified by the individual’s specific experiences at war, difficulty reintegrating to post-deployment life, and the onset or exacerbation of the chronic and comorbid physical, emotional, and cognitive disorders. The circuit network between the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala, and hippocampus is particularly sensitive to the consequences of war. The review’s specific conclusions are as follows: HPA axis dysregulation contributes to the chronic insomnia and hyperarousal seen in soldiers. There is considerable symptom overlap between PTSD and blast-related head injury, and it is difficult to determine the relative contributions of the two disorders to abnormal imaging studies. In some cases, traumatic brain injury (TBI) may directly precipitate PTSD symptoms. While not intuitive, the relationship between TBI and postconcussion syndrome appears indirect and mediated through PTSD. Blast-related or conventional head injury may have little long-term impact on neuropsychological functioning; contrarily, PTSD particularly accounts for current cognitive deficits. The psychological experience of CWS includes a “war-within” where soldiers continue to battle an internalized enemy. Successful treatment of CWS entails transdisciplinary care that addresses each of the constituent disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Ni Dieter
- Intrepid Spirit Center, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, U.S. Army, Fort Hood, TX, USA
| | - Scot D Engel
- Intrepid Spirit Center, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, U.S. Army, Fort Hood, TX, USA
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Skotak M, Townsend MT, Ramarao KV, Chandra N. A Comprehensive Review of Experimental Rodent Models of Repeated Blast TBI. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1015. [PMID: 31611839 PMCID: PMC6776622 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We reviewed the relevant literature delineating advances in the development of the experimental models of repeated blast TBI (rbTBI). It appears this subject is a relatively unexplored area considering the first work published in 2007 and the bulk of peer-reviewed papers was published post-2011. There are merely 34 papers published to date utilizing rodent rbTBI models. We performed an analysis and extracted basic parameters to capture the characteristics of the exposure conditions (the blast intensity, inter-exposure interval and the number of exposures), the age and weight of the animal models most commonly used in the studies, and their endpoints. Our analysis revealed three strains of rodents are predominantly used: Sprague Dawley and Long Evans rats and wild type (C57BL/6J) mice, and young adult animals 8 to 12-week-old are a preferred choice. Typical exposure conditions are the following: (1) peak overpressure in the 27–145 kPa (4–21 psi) range, (2) number of exposures: 2 (13.9%), 3 (63.9%), 5 (16.7%), or 12 (5.6%) with a single exposure used for a baseline comparison in 41.24% of the studies. Two inter-exposure interval durations were used: (1) short (1–30 min.) and (2) extended (24 h) between consecutive shock wave exposures. The experiments included characterization of repeated blast exposure effects on auditory, ocular and neurological function, with a focus on brain etiology in most of the published work. We present an overview of major histopathological findings, which are supplemented by studies implementing MRI (DTI) and behavioral changes after rbTBI in the acute (1–7 days post-injury), subacute (7–14 days), and chronic (>14 days) phases post-injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Skotak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials, and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Molly T Townsend
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials, and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Kakulavarapu V Ramarao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials, and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Namas Chandra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials, and Medicine, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
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Abstract
Abnormalities of glutamatergic transmission are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. Among the glutamate receptors, metabotropic (mGlu) 2/3 receptors have recently gained much attention as molecular targets for the treatment of several neuropsychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety. Both orthosteric and allosteric antagonists of mGlu2/3 receptors have been synthesized, and their therapeutic potential has been examined. These research activities have demonstrated the promise of mGlu2/3 receptor antagonists as potential treatment agents for the above-mentioned neuropsychiatric disorders. In particular, it has been considered that the antidepressant effects of mGlu2/3 receptor antagonists are worthy of pursuing, since the antidepressant profiles as well as synaptic/neural mechanisms involved in the actions of mGlu2/3 receptor antagonists are similar to those of ketamine, which has been demonstrated to show potent, rapid and sustained efficacy in patients with depression, even those resistant to the conventionally prescribed antidepressants. In this chapter, the general pharmacology of mGlu2/3 receptor antagonists and their therapeutic potential are reviewed. In particular, I focus on the usefulness of mGlu2/3 receptor antagonists as novel antidepressants, in comparison with ketamine.
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Unexpected systemic phenotypes result from focal combined deficiencies of forebrain insulin receptor/IGF-1 receptor signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:5852-5854. [PMID: 30858326 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901970116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Insulin signaling in the hippocampus and amygdala regulates metabolism and neurobehavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:6379-6384. [PMID: 30765523 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817391116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that insulin and IGF-1 signaling in the brain, especially the hypothalamus, is important for regulation of systemic metabolism. Here, we develop mice in which we have specifically inactivated both insulin receptors (IRs) and IGF-1 receptors (IGF1Rs) in the hippocampus (Hippo-DKO) or central amygdala (CeA-DKO) by stereotaxic delivery of AAV-Cre into IRlox/lox/IGF1Rlox/lox mice. Consequently, both Hippo-DKO and CeA-DKO mice have decreased levels of the GluA1 subunit of glutamate AMPA receptor and display increased anxiety-like behavior, impaired cognition, and metabolic abnormalities, including glucose intolerance. Hippo-DKO mice also display abnormal spatial learning and memory whereas CeA-DKO mice have impaired cold-induced thermogenesis. Thus, insulin/IGF-1 signaling has common roles in the hippocampus and central amygdala, affecting synaptic function, systemic glucose homeostasis, behavior, and cognition. In addition, in the hippocampus, insulin/IGF-1 signaling is important for spatial learning and memory whereas insulin/IGF-1 signaling in the central amygdala controls thermogenesis via regulation of neural circuits innervating interscapular brown adipose tissue.
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31
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Gama Sosa MA, De Gasperi R, Perez Garcia GS, Perez GM, Searcy C, Vargas D, Spencer A, Janssen PL, Tschiffely AE, McCarron RM, Ache B, Manoharan R, Janssen WG, Tappan SJ, Hanson RW, Gandy S, Hof PR, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. Low-level blast exposure disrupts gliovascular and neurovascular connections and induces a chronic vascular pathology in rat brain. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:6. [PMID: 30626447 PMCID: PMC6327415 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0647-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Much concern exists over the role of blast-induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the chronic cognitive and mental health problems that develop in veterans and active duty military personnel. The brain vasculature is particularly sensitive to blast injury. The aim of this study was to characterize the evolving molecular and histologic alterations in the neurovascular unit induced by three repetitive low-energy blast exposures (3 × 74.5 kPa) in a rat model mimicking human mild TBI or subclinical blast exposure. High-resolution two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry of purified brain vascular fractions from blast-exposed animals 6 weeks post-exposure showed decreased levels of vascular-associated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and several neuronal intermediate filament proteins (α-internexin and the low, middle, and high molecular weight neurofilament subunits). Loss of these proteins suggested that blast exposure disrupts gliovascular and neurovascular interactions. Electron microscopy confirmed blast-induced effects on perivascular astrocytes including swelling and degeneration of astrocytic endfeet in the brain cortical vasculature. Because the astrocyte is a major sensor of neuronal activity and regulator of cerebral blood flow, structural disruption of gliovascular integrity within the neurovascular unit should impair cerebral autoregulation. Disrupted neurovascular connections to pial and parenchymal blood vessels might also affect brain circulation. Blast exposures also induced structural and functional alterations in the arterial smooth muscle layer. Interestingly, by 8 months after blast exposure, GFAP and neuronal intermediate filament expression had recovered to control levels in isolated brain vascular fractions. However, despite this recovery, a widespread vascular pathology was still apparent at 10 months after blast exposure histologically and on micro-computed tomography scanning. Thus, low-level blast exposure disrupts gliovascular and neurovascular connections while inducing a chronic vascular pathology.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can result from similar injuries and can result in similar symptoms, such as problems with sleep, concentration, memory, and mood. Although PTSD and persistent sequelae due to a TBI (PST) have generally been viewed as pragmatically confounded but conceptually separable entities, we examine emerging evidence emphasizing the breadth of overlap in both clinical presentation and underlying pathophysiology between PST and PTSD. RECENT FINDINGS New evidence underscores the poor specificity of symptoms to etiology and emphasizes the potential, after both physical brain injury and traumatic stress, for changes in each of the three interacting systems that coordinate the body's response to the experience or expectation of major injury-the immune, endocrine, and neuromodulatory neurotransmitter systems. A view of PTSD and PST sharing common pathophysiologic elements related to the CNS response to acute injury or threat carries important implications for research and clinical care.
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33
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Teutsch P, Jones CE, Kaiser ME, Avalon Gardner N, Lim MM. Gait and Conditioned Fear Impairments in a Mouse Model of Comorbid TBI and PTSD. Behav Neurol 2018; 2018:6037015. [PMID: 30327687 PMCID: PMC6171258 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6037015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly cooccur. Approaches to research and treatment of these disorders have been segregated, despite overlapping symptomology. We and others have hypothesized that comorbid TBI + PTSD generates worse symptoms than either condition alone. We present a mouse model of comorbid TBI + PTSD to further explore this condition. METHODS A mouse model of TBI + PTSD was generated using the single prolonged stress (SPS) protocol in combination with the controlled cortical impact (CCI) protocol. This resulted in four experimental groups: control, TBI, PTSD, and TBI + PTSD. Behavioral phenotyping included gait analysis, contextual fear conditioning, acoustic startle response, and prepulse inhibition. RESULTS Mice in the TBI + PTSD group showed a significantly impaired gait compared to their counterparts with TBI alone as well as control mice. Mice in the TBI + PTSD group showed significantly impaired contextual fear recall compared to controls. Prepulse inhibition testing revealed intact acoustic startle and auditory sensory gating. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that SPS paired with CCI in mice produces unique behavioral impairments in gait and fear recall that are not present in either condition alone. Further studies are underway to examine additional behavioral, physiological, and pathological phenotypes in this combined model of TBI + PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolyn E. Jones
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Natasha Avalon Gardner
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
- Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Miranda M. Lim
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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34
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Semple BD, Zamani A, Rayner G, Shultz SR, Jones NC. Affective, neurocognitive and psychosocial disorders associated with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic epilepsy. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 123:27-41. [PMID: 30059725 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) often develop chronic neurological, neurocognitive, psychological, and psychosocial deficits that can have a profound impact on an individual's wellbeing and quality of life. TBI is also a common cause of acquired epilepsy, which is itself associated with significant behavioral morbidity. This review considers the clinical and preclinical evidence that post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) acts as a 'second-hit' insult to worsen chronic behavioral outcomes for brain-injured patients, across the domains of emotional, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. Surprisingly, few well-designed studies have specifically examined the relationship between seizures and behavioral outcomes after TBI. The complex mechanisms underlying these comorbidities remain incompletely understood, although many of the biological processes that precipitate seizure occurrence and epileptogenesis may also contribute to the development of chronic behavioral deficits. Further, the relationship between PTE and behavioral dysfunction is increasingly recognized to be a bidirectional one, whereby premorbid conditions are a risk factor for PTE. Clinical studies in this arena are often challenged by the confounding effects of anti-seizure medications, while preclinical studies have rarely examined an adequately extended time course to fully capture the time course of epilepsy development after a TBI. To drive the field forward towards improved treatment strategies, it is imperative that both seizures and neurobehavioral outcomes are assessed in parallel after TBI, both in patient populations and preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgette D Semple
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Akram Zamani
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Genevieve Rayner
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre (Austin Campus), Heidelberg, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Alfred Health, Australia.
| | - Sandy R Shultz
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Nigel C Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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35
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Song H, Konan LM, Cui J, Johnson CE, Langenderfer M, Grant D, Ndam T, Simonyi A, White T, Demirci U, Mott DR, Schwer D, Hubler GK, Cernak I, DePalma RG, Gu Z. Ultrastructural brain abnormalities and associated behavioral changes in mice after low-intensity blast exposure. Behav Brain Res 2018. [PMID: 29526786 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Explosive blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a "signature wound" of recent military conflicts, commonly affects service members. While past blast injury studies have provided insights into TBI with moderate- to high-intensity explosions, the impact of primary low-intensity blast (LIB)-mediated pathobiology on neurological deficits requires further investigation. Our prior considerations of blast physics predicted ultrastructural injuries at nanoscale levels. Here, we provide quantitative data using a primary LIB injury murine model exposed to open field detonation of 350 g of high-energy explosive C4. We quantified ultrastructural and behavioral changes up to 30 days post blast injury (DPI). The use of an open-field experimental blast generated a primary blast wave with a peak overpressure of 6.76 PSI (46.6 kPa) at a 3-m distance from the center of the explosion, a positive phase duration of approximate 3.0 milliseconds (ms), a maximal impulse of 8.7 PSI × ms and a sharp rising time of 9 × 10-3 ms, with no apparent impact/acceleration in exposed animals. Neuropathologically, myelinated axonal damage was observed in blast-exposed groups at 7 DPI. Using transmission electron microscopy, we observed and quantified myelin sheath defects and mitochondrial abnormalities at 7 and 30 DPI. Inverse correlations between blast intensities and neurobehavioral outcomes including motor activities, anxiety levels, nesting behavior, spatial learning and memory occurred. These observations uncover unique ultrastructural brain abnormalities and associated behavioral changes due to primary blast injury and provide key insights into its pathogenesis and potential treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Song
- Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Landry M Konan
- Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Jiankun Cui
- Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Truman VA Hospital Research Service, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Catherine E Johnson
- Department of Mining and Nuclear Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA
| | - Martin Langenderfer
- Department of Mining and Nuclear Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA
| | - DeAna Grant
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Tina Ndam
- Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Agnes Simonyi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Tommi White
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Utkan Demirci
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David R Mott
- U.S. Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC 20375, USA
| | - Doug Schwer
- U.S. Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC 20375, USA
| | - Graham K Hubler
- Sidney Kimmel Institute for Nuclear Renaissance, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Ibolja Cernak
- Canadian Military and Veterans' Clinical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G4, Canada
| | - Ralph G DePalma
- Office of Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC 20420, USA
| | - Zezong Gu
- Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Truman VA Hospital Research Service, Columbia, MO 65201, USA.
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