DHEAS repeated treatment improves cognitive and behavioral deficits after mild traumatic brain injury.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is characterized by diffused symptoms, which when combined are called "post-concussion syndrome". Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a neuroactive neurosteroid. Previously, we have reported that closed head mTBI causes long lasting cognitive deficits and depressive-like behavior. In the present study we describe the effects of DHEAS on the behavior of mice that suffered closed head mTBI. Following the induction of mTBI, mice were treated once a week with DHEAS (s.c. 20 mg/kg) and their performance in the passive avoidance test and the forced swimming test (FST) were evaluated 7, 30, 60 and 90 days post-injury. The most important interactions were between injury and injection (passive avoidance; p<0.001 and FST; p=0.001), meaning that DHEAS has beneficial effects only when given to injured animals. Our results demonstrate that the long-term cognitive and behavioral effects induced by mTBI may be improved by a repeated weekly treatment with DHEAS.
Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Tel-Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Israel. anatmilman@gmail.com
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Milman
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Zohar
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Maayan
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Weizman
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D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology
D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate