Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · May 2015
ReviewSystematic Review of Clinical Studies Examining Biomarkers of Brain Injury in Athletes Following Sports-Related Concussion.
The aim of this study was to systematically review clinical studies examining biofluid biomarkers of brain injury for concussion in athletes. Data sources included PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Database from 1966 to October 2013. Studies were included if they recruited athletes participating in organized sports who experienced concussion or head injury during a sports-related activity and had brain injury biomarkers measured. ⋯ A handful of biomarkers showed a correlation with number of hits to the head (soccer), acceleration/deceleration forces (jumps, collisions, and falls), postconcussive symptoms, trauma to the body versus the head, and dynamics of different sports. Although there are no validated biomarkers for concussion as yet, there is potential for biomarkers to provide diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring information postinjury. They could also be combined with neuroimaging to assess injury evolution and recovery.
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Journal of neurotrauma · May 2015
Effects of voluntary physical exercise, citicoline, and combined treatment on object recognition memory, neurogenesis and neuroprotection after traumatic brain injury in rats.
The biochemical and cellular events that lead to secondary neural damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI) contribute to long-term disabilities, including memory deficits. There is a need to search for single and/or combined treatments aimed at reducing these TBI-related disfunctions. The effects of citicoline and of voluntary physical exercise in a running wheel (3 weeks), alone or in combination, on TBI-related short-term (3 h) and long-term (24 h) object recognition memory (ORM) deficits and on neurogenesis and neuroprotection were examined using a rodent model of TBI (controlled cortical impact injury). ⋯ Contrary to what was expected, the effects of citicoline and physical exercise did not sum up. Further, a negative interference between both treatments was found in several behavioral and histological variables. The promising profiles of both treatments as therapeutic tools in TBI when applied singly underscore the need to perform further works looking for other combined treatment regimens that increase the benefit of each treatment alone.
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Journal of neurotrauma · May 2015
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase mediates arteriolar vasodilatation after traumatic brain injury in mice.
Brain edema and increased cerebral blood volume (CBV) contribute to intracranial hypertension and hence to unfavorable outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The increased post-traumatic CBV may be caused in part by arterial vasodilatation. The aim of the current study was to uncover the largely unknown mechanisms of post-traumatic arteriolar vasodilatation. ⋯ The diameter of pial veins was not affected. Our results suggest that arteriolar vasodilatation after TBI is largely mediated by excess production of endothelial nitric oxide. Accordingly, our data may explain the beneficial effects of the NOS inhibitor VAS203 in the early phase after TBI and suggest that inhibition of excess endothelial nitric oxide production may represent a novel therapeutic strategy following TBI.
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Concussions are high incidence injuries with potentially devastating consequences. Youths are at risk because of a higher threat of repeated injury, and cumulative effects of concussions exist, making accurate diagnosis and follow-up essential. This study examines a navigational memory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task to determine whether activation differences exist between children with concussion and uninjured controls. ⋯ Subjects with concussion show both diminished and increased activation in specific cerebral regions, differentiating them from controls. This is one of the first studies to look at such a task using fMRI and its applicability in testing for concussion in children. These findings support navigational memory fMRI as a potential objective test for concussions.
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Journal of neurotrauma · May 2015
Gray Matter Abnormalities in Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (pmTBI) is the most prevalent neurological insult in children and is associated with both acute and chronic neuropsychiatric sequelae. However, little is known about underlying pathophysiology changes in gray matter diffusion and atrophy from a prospective stand-point. Fifteen semi-acute pmTBI patients and 15 well-matched healthy controls were evaluated with a clinical and neuroimaging battery, with a subset of participants returning for a second visit. ⋯ In contrast, signs of cortical atrophy in bilateral frontal areas and other left-hemisphere cortical areas only emerged at four months post-injury for patients. Current results suggest potentially differential time-courses of recovery for neurobehavioral markers, anisotropic diffusion and atrophy following pmTBI. Importantly, these data suggest that relying on patient self-report or standard clinical assessments may underestimate the time for true injury recovery.