Behavioral, electrophysiological, and histopathological consequences of mild fluid-percussion injury in the rat.
Metabolic dysfunction in the relay nuclei of the rat vibrissa circuit follows traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study examined the effects of mild (1.4-1.5 atm) parasagittal fluid-percussion injury on the electrophysiology of this circuit. TBI caused significant reductions in slope and increases in latency of vibrissa-evoked field potentials 3 days after injury. Assessment of open-field swimming revealed an increase in thigmotaxis 2 days after injury. TBI caused mild selective cortical damage and limited axonal swelling at the injury site. Thus mild injury disrupts somatosensory electrophysiology and exploratory behavior.
Sanders
M J
MJ
Department of Psychology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. msanders@psych.ucla.edu
Dietrich
W D
WD
Green
E J
EJ
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000502:physiology*