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Evolving brain and behaviour changes in rats following repetitive subconcussive head impacts
Wouter S Hoogenboom1,2,3, Todd G Rubin4, Kamalakar Ambadipudi1,3
1The Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10641, USA.
Brain Communications
|December 4, 2023
Summary
Repetitive subconcussive head impacts in adolescent rats caused detectable brain microstructural changes and behavioral deficits. These findings in animal models may help understand human head impact injuries.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Repetitive subconcussive head impacts (SCHIs) are a growing concern, potentially altering brain structure and function, especially in developing brains.
- Animal models are crucial for understanding the pathological basis and mechanisms of SCHI effects observed in humans.
- SCHIs in animals remain largely unexplored, necessitating research into their effects on the developing brain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the imaging, behavioral, and pathological effects of repetitive SCHIs in awake adolescent rodents.
- To investigate the evolution of these effects over time following impacts.
Main Methods:
- Adolescent male and female Sprague Dawley rats (postnatal Day 35) received 140 closed-head impacts over one week.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed before and over one month post-impact in 43 animals.
- Behavioral assessments for motor control, emotional-affective behavior, and memory were conducted in 53 animals at acute and chronic time points.
- Exploratory histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed one month post-impact.
Main Results:
- Longitudinal, sex-dependent DTI changes (decreased fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity) were observed in the corpus callosum and external capsule of SCHI animals, differing from sham and control groups.
- SCHI animals showed acute, transient mild motor deficits compared to sham animals.
- Chronic anxiety and spatial memory impairments were observed in SCHI animals, differing from controls but not from sham animals.
- Trends indicated corpus callosum thinning and increased Iba-1 expression in the corpus callosum and white matter of SCHI animals.
Conclusions:
- Repetitive SCHIs induce microstructural brain tissue changes in developing rats, detectable by DTI, with potential pathological and behavioral correlates.
- These findings suggest mechanisms underlying human SCHI consequences and highlight neuroimaging as a translational tool for studying injury mechanisms and interventions.
