Author: Mark D. SkopinPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Blood-brain barrier
Languages : en
Pages : 164
Book Description
Animal models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are utilized for the study of underlying mechanisms and for the development of potential therapeutics. Traditional TBI models apply concussive forces to the cranium or provide a direct injury to neuronal tissue to model penetrating head wounds. The observation of mild to moderate TBI symptoms in personnel exposed to blast waves has led to the hypothesis that the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can cause the symptoms commonly associated with TBI. Using intracarotid injection of hyperosmotic fluid, we assessed the histological and behavioral consequences of a transient disruption of the BBB and compared the results to the classical controlled-cortical impact (CCI) model of penetrating head injuries in rats. Our results demonstrate that the disruption of the BBB causes similar deficits in spatial memory as measured by the Barnes maze compared to other classical TBI models. Furthermore, a computational model was developed to investigate how different types of neural injuries affect a biological network capable of neurogenesis. These findings suggest that a disruption of the BBB can contribute to the neuronal dysfunction associated with brain injury and novel treatments that prevent plasma extravasation during BBB disruption could have therapeutic benefits.