title: Reversal of neuromotor and cognitive dysfunction in an enriched environment combined with multimodal early onset stimulation after traumatic brain injury in rats.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the additional benefits of a multimodal early onset stimulation (MEOS) paradigm when combined with enriched environment (EE) versus EE only and standard housing (SH) on the recovery after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI). Male Sprague- Dawley rats were subjected to moderate lateral fluid percussion (LFP) brain injury (n = 40) or sham operation (n = 6). Thereafter, the injured and sham/EE + MEOS and EE only groups were placed into a complex EE consisting of tunnel-connected wide-bodied cages with various beddings, inclining platforms, and toys. Along with group living and environmental complexity, injured and sham/EE + MEOS animals were additionally exposed to a standardized paradigm of multimodal stimulation including auditory, visual, olfactory, and motor stimuli. In contrast, injured and sham/SH groups were housed individually without stimulation. A standardized composite neuroscore (NS) test was used to assess acute post-traumatic neuromotor deficits (24 h after injury) and recovery on days 7 and 15; recovery of cognitive function was assessed on days 11-15 using the Barnes maze. Neuromotor impairment was comparable in all injured animals at 24 h post-injury, but braininjured EE + MEOS rats performed significantly better than both brain-injured SH and EE groups when tested on post-injury days 7 and 15 (p = 0.004). Similarly, latencies to locate the hidden box under the Barnes maze platform were significantly shortened in EE + MEOS animals at day 15 (p = 0.003). These results indicate that the reversal of neuromotor and cognitive dysfunction after TBI can be substantially enhanced when MEOS is added to EE.
authors: Biochemische und Experimentelle Abteilung, Medizinische Fakultät der Universität zu Köln, Chirurgische Klinik der Universität Witten-Herdecke, Klinikum Köln-Merheim, Germany. Marc.Maegele@t-online.de
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Maegele
authors: Marcela
authors: M
authors: Lippert-Gruener
authors: Thorsten
authors: T
authors: Ester-Bode
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Sauerland
authors: Ute
authors: U
authors: Schäfer
authors: Marek
authors: M
authors: Molcanyi
authors: Marek
authors: M
authors: Molcany
authors: Rolf
authors: R
authors: Lefering
authors: Bertil
authors: B
authors: Bouillon
authors: Wolfram F
authors: WF
authors: Neiss
authors: Doychin N
authors: DN
authors: Angelov
authors: Norfried
authors: N
authors: Klug
authors: Tracy K
authors: TK
authors: McIntosh
authors: Edmund A M
authors: EA
authors: Neugebauer
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004779:Environment Design; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009812:Odorants; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome