Journal of neurotrauma
-
Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2013
Pituitary function and functional outcome in adults after severe traumatic brain injury: the long-term perspective.
Post-traumatic hypopituitarism (PTHP) has been linked to disability and decreased quality of life. However, no studies have addressed the long-term consequences of PTHP in adults with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) only. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between pituitary function, quality of life, and functioning in 51 patients (16-65 years of age) with severe TBI who were admitted to Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg from 1999 to 2002. ⋯ Otherwise no significant correlation was found among PTHP, functioning, or patient-reported quality of life. This study-which is unique in the homogeneity of the patients, the long follow-up time, and the use of injury severity as an outcome predictor-did not confirm results from previous studies linking PTHP to a worse outcome. Therefore, screening for PTHP might be restricted to specific subgroups such as overweight patients, indicating growth hormone deficiency.
-
Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2013
Risk factors for postconcussion symptom reporting after traumatic brain injury in U.S. military service members.
The purpose of this study was to identify factors that are predictive of, or associated with, postconcussion symptom reporting after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the U. S. military. Participants were 125 U. ⋯ PCD rarely occurred in the absence of depression, traumatic stress, possible symptom exaggeration, or poor effort (n=7, 5.6%). Many factors unrelated to brain injury were influential in self-reported postconcussion symptoms in this sample. Clinicians cannot assume uncritically that endorsement of items on a postconcussion symptom checklist is indicative of residual effects from a brain injury.
-
Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2013
The effect of environmental enrichment on substantia nigra gene expression after traumatic brain injury in rats.
Experimental investigations into the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have demonstrated significant alterations in dopaminergic systems. Dopaminergic fibers originating within the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are important for reward learning, addiction, movement, and behavior. However, little is known about the effect of TBI on substantia nigra and VTA function. ⋯ Chronic alterations in genes post-injury within the substantia nigra and VTA included genes important for cellular membrane homeostasis and transcription. EE-induced gene alterations after TBI included genes important for signal transduction, in particular calcium signaling pathways, membrane homeostasis, and metabolism. Elucidation of these alterations in gene expression within the substantia nigra and VTA provides new insights into chronic changes in dopamine signaling post-TBI, and the potential role of EE in TBI rehabilitation.
-
Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2013
Evaluation of metric, topological, and temporal ordering memory tasks after lateral fluid percussion injury.
Impairments in learning and memory occur in as many as 50% of patients following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Similar impairments occur in rodent models of TBI, and the development of new memory testing procedures provides an opportunity to examine how TBI affects memory processing in specific neural memory systems. Specifically, metric, topological, and temporal ordering tasks are object-based tests for memory of spatial orientation and temporal sequencing working memory developed for use in rodents. ⋯ Two weeks following a moderate lateral fluid percussion TBI, adult rats demonstrated significant deficits in both the metric and temporal ordering tasks (p<0.05) but not in the topological task. Stereological analysis identified a significant reduction in neurons in the CA2/3 (p<0.05) but not the CA1 of the hippocampus. These data demonstrate the utility of three object-based tasks to expand our understanding of how different neural memory systems are affected by TBI.
-
Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2013
Temperature and heart rate responses to exercise following mild traumatic brain injury.
We have previously reported that mild fluid percussion injury (FPI) is associated with a heightening of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response during the first post-injury weeks. This is the same time period when rehabilitative exercise has been strongly suggested to be ineffective. Here, we explored whether cardiac and temperature autonomic function may also be compromised during this early post-injury period. ⋯ FPI rats exposed to fRW were more responsive to experimental manipulations and had higher a CBT after the FRW session. The results suggest that subacute exercise, particularly if linked to a strong stress response, may be counterproductive. Here we show that cardiac and temperature autonomic function are compromised during the subacute period following a mild TBI.