Developing a clinically relevant model of cognitive training after experimental traumatic brain injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impairs cognitive functions by affecting learning and memory systems.
• Existing cognitive training paradigms need experimental validation in TBI models to assess efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a clinically relevant experimental model for cognitive training after TBI.
• To investigate the efficacy of training implicitly learned task components using the Morris water maze (MWM) to improve post-TBI behavioral performance.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-one adult male rats were subjected to controlled cortical impact (CCI) or sham injury.
• Rats received non-spatial cognitive training (CogTrained) or no training (No-CogTrained) during MWM testing with or without extra-maze cues.
• Evaluated platform latencies, thigmotaxis, and search strategies.

Main Results:

• Cognitive training improved MWM performance (latency, thigmotaxis, strategy) in both sham and CCI rats.
• Trained CCI rats utilized implicitly learned skills in novel conditions, partially mitigating cognitive deficits.
• Cognitive training did not affect contusion size or hippocampal cell survival.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive training using MWM nonspatial components can mitigate cognitive deficits in an experimental TBI model.
• This study validates the use of clinically relevant cognitive training constructs in experimental TBI research.
• The developed model shows promise for testing cognitive rehabilitation strategies post-TBI.