Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2010
Evaluating the relationship between memory functioning and cingulum bundles in acute mild traumatic brain injury using diffusion tensor imaging.
Compromised memory functioning is one of the commonly reported cognitive sequelae seen following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been shown to be sufficiently sensitive at detecting early microstructural pathological alterations after mTBI. Given its location and shape, the cingulate, which is comprised of the cingulate gyrus (gray matter) and cingulum bundles (white matter), is selectively vulnerable to mTBI. ⋯ A marginally significant correlation was found between ADC of the left cingulum bundle and the total words of immediate recall (r = 0.59, p = 0.07). No significant correlation was found between DTI metrics and memory functioning for the control group. These preliminary findings indicate that cingulate injury likely contributes to the cognitive sequelae seen during the early phase post-mTBI.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2010
Adrenomedullin prevents sex-dependent impairment of autoregulation during hypotension after piglet brain injury through inhibition of ERK MAPK upregulation.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) adrenomedullin (ADM) levels are increased in female, but remain unchanged in male, piglets after fluid percussion injury (FPI) of the brain. Subthreshold vascular concentrations of ADM restore impaired hypotensive pial artery dilation after FPI more in males than females. Extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is upregulated and contributes to reductions in cerebral blood flow (CBF) after FPI. ⋯ The calculated autoregulatory index was unchanged during hypotension in sham animals, but was reduced more in males than females during hypotension and FPI. ADM prevented reductions in autoregulation during hypotension and FPI more in males than females. These data indicate that ADM prevented loss of cerebral autoregulation after FPI in a sex-dependent and ERK MAPK-dependent manner.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2010
Lack of effect of moderate hypothermia on brain tissue oxygenation after acute intracranial hypertension in pigs.
In this study, we explored the effect of moderate hypothermia on brain tissue oxygenation following acute intracranial hypertension in micropigs. Twenty healthy juvenile micropigs weighting 4-6 kg were randomized into two groups: a normothermia group (n = 10) and a moderate hypothermia group (n = 10). The animals were intravenously anesthetized with propofol (4 mg/kg), an endotracheal tube was inserted, and mechanical ventilation was begun. ⋯ Further, pH(br) also markedly increased and P(br)CO(2) decreased significantly in the hypothermia group (p < 0.05). However, P(br)O(2) did not statistically significantly improve in the hypothermia group (p > 0.05). In sum, moderate hypothermia significantly decreased ICP, reduced P(br)CO(2), and increased pH(br) values, but did not improve cerebral oxygenation following acute intracranial hypertension.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2010
Transcriptomics of traumatic brain injury: gene expression and molecular pathways of different grades of insult in a rat organotypic hippocampal culture model.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the one of the most common forms of head trauma, and it remains a leading cause of death and disability. It is known that the initial mechanical axonal injury triggers a complex cascade of neuroinflammatory and metabolic events, the understanding of which is essential for clinical, translational, and pharmacological research. These can occur even in mild TBI, and are associated with several post-concussion manifestations, including transiently heightened vulnerability to a second insult. ⋯ The data revealed remarkable differential gene expression following mTBI, even in the absence of cell damage. Pathway analysis revealed that molecular interactions in both levels of injury were similar, with IL-1beta playing a central role. Additional pathways of neurodegeneration involving RhoA (ras homolog gene family, member A) were found in 50% stretch.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2010
Bilateral decompressive craniectomy for patients with malignant diffuse brain swelling after severe traumatic brain injury: a 37-case study.
Abstract In this study we retrospectively analyzed the outcome of bilateral decompressive craniectomy (BDC) for 37 patients with bilateral malignant diffuse brain swelling following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Our 37 patients (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score =8) were retrospectively analyzed from September 2005 through September 2008. All patients underwent bilateral frontotemporoparietal decompressive craniectomy followed by duraplasty. ⋯ Also, 17 patients (45.9%) had unfavorable outcomes, including 7 patients (18.9%; GOS 1) who died, 4 patients (10.8%; GOS 2) remained in a vegetative state, and 6 patients (16.2%; GOS 3) had severe deficits. The most common complication was hydrocephalus (7 patients, 18.9%). Our data show that BDC offers immediate reductions in intracranial hypertension, and perhaps contributes to satisfactory outcomes in patients with bilateral diffuse brain swelling following severe TBI.