Traumatic Brain Injury Results in Dynamic Brain Structure Changes Leading to Acute and Chronic Motor Function...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of childhood mortality and long-term disability.
• Pediatric TBI leads to persistent cognitive, emotional, and motor deficits.
• Developing effective treatments requires understanding TBI's complex pathophysiology in young individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally evaluate the pathological and functional consequences of TBI in a pediatric piglet model.
• To utilize multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), gait analysis, and histology for comprehensive assessment.
• To characterize the time course of TBI-induced changes over 12 weeks.

Main Methods:

• Controlled cortical impact TBI was induced in Landrace piglets.
• Multi-parametric MRI, including proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), was performed at 24 hours and 12 weeks post-TBI.
• Gait analysis was conducted longitudinally, and histological examination was performed at multiple time points (24 hours to 12 weeks).

Main Results:

• MRI revealed significant brain lesions, midline shift, altered diffusivity, reduced white matter integrity, and decreased cerebral blood flow.
• MRS indicated widespread neurochemical alterations post-TBI.
• Histology confirmed neuronal loss, astrogliosis, and microglial activation.
• Gait analysis showed transient and persistent functional deficits, including altered cadence, step length, and weight distribution.

Conclusions:

• This pediatric piglet model effectively captures the evolving pathoanatomic and functional sequelae of TBI.
• The findings illustrate the distinct temporal progression of TBI effects up to 12 weeks post-injury.
• This translational model holds promise for studying TBI mechanisms and testing therapeutic interventions with greater predictive value for human outcomes.