Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2012
Microglial contribution to secondary injury evaluated in a large animal model of human spinal cord trauma.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) in dogs is a well recognized animal model to study pathogenesis and treatment modalities of the debilitating human disease. To define the contributing role of microglial cell activation to the secondary wave following SCI, microglia from 15 dogs with SCI confirmed by imaging, gross, and histopathological examination were isolated and characterized in terms of morphology, immunophenotype, and function ex vivo by flow cytometry, allowing single cell analysis. The results were compared to region-specific findings obtained from healthy control dogs. ⋯ In addition, phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were significantly increased in dogs with spinal cord trauma. Regional differences within the spinal cord were observed by demonstrating disparities in microglial immunophenotypes in the traumatized cervical compared to the thoracolumbar spinal cord. In contrast to histopathology, microglia activation analyzed on a single cell basis did not depend upon the time span following SCI.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2012
Development of post-traumatic epilepsy after controlled cortical impact and lateral fluid-percussion-induced brain injury in the mouse.
The present study investigated the development of hyperexcitability and epilepsy in mice with traumatic brain injury (TBI) induced by controlled cortical impact (CCI) or lateral fluid-percussion injury (FPI), which are the two most commonly used experimental models of human TBI in rodents. TBI was induced with CCI to 50 (14 controls) and with lateral FPI to 45 (15 controls) C57BL/6S adult male mice. The animals were followed-up for 9 months, including three 2-week periods of continuous video-electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring, and a seizure susceptibility test with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). ⋯ Finally, two independent series of experiments in both injury models provided comparable data demonstrating reproducibility of the modeling. These data show that different types of impact can trigger epileptogenesis in mice. Even though the frequency of spontaneous seizures in C57BL/6S mice is low, a large majority of animals develop hyperexcitability.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2012
Severity of locomotor and cardiovascular derangements after experimental high-thoracic spinal cord injury is anesthesia dependent in rats.
Anesthetics affect outcomes from central nervous system (CNS) injuries differently. This is the first study to show how two commonly used anesthetics affect continuously recorded hemodynamic parameters and locomotor recovery during a 2-week period after two levels of contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. We hypothesized that the level of cardiovascular depression and recovery of locomotor function would be dependent upon the anesthetic used during SCI. ⋯ This study shows that anesthetics affect hemodynamic parameters differently, which in turn can affect functional outcome measures. This supports the need for a careful evaluation of cardiovascular and other physiological measures in experimental models of SCI. Choice of anesthetic should be an important consideration in experimental designs and data analyses.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2012
ReviewCommon data elements for neuroimaging of traumatic brain injury: pediatric considerations.
As part of the Traumatic Brain Injury Common Data Elements project, a large-scale effort to define common data elements across a variety of domains, including neuroimaging, special considerations for pediatric patients were introduced. This article is an extension of that initial work, in which pediatric-specific pathoanatomical entities, technical considerations, interpretation paradigms, and safety considerations were reviewed. The goal of this review was to outline differences and specific information relevant to optimal performance and proper interpretation of neuroimaging in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury. The long-range goal of this project is to facilitate data sharing as well as to provide critical infrastructure for potential clinical trials in this major public health area.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2012
ReviewEmerging imaging tools for use with traumatic brain injury research.
This article identifies emerging neuroimaging measures considered by the inter-agency Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Neuroimaging Workgroup. This article attempts to address some of the potential uses of more advanced forms of imaging in TBI as well as highlight some of the current considerations and unresolved challenges of using them. ⋯ However, we also include brief introductions to other specialized forms of advanced imaging that currently do require specialized equipment, for example, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), encephalography (EEG), and magnetoencephalography (MEG)/magnetic source imaging (MSI). Finally, we identify some of the challenges that users of the emerging imaging CDEs may wish to consider, including quality control, performing multi-site and longitudinal imaging studies, and MR scanning in infants and children.