title: Social isolation after stroke leads to depressive-like behavior and decreased BDNF levels in mice.
abstract: Social isolation prior to stroke leads to poorer outcomes after an ischemic injury in both animal and human studies. However, the impact of social isolation following stroke, which may be more clinically relevant as a target for therapeutic intervention, has yet to be examined. In this study, we investigated both the sub-acute (2 weeks) and chronic (7 weeks) effects of social isolation on post-stroke functional and histological outcome. Worsened histological damage from ischemic injury and an increase in depressive-like behavior was observed in isolated mice as compared to pair-housed mice. Mice isolated immediately after stroke showed a decrease in the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). These changes, both histological and behavioral, suggest an overall negative effect of social isolation on stroke outcome, potentially contributing to post-stroke depression and anxiety. Therefore, it is important to identify patients who have perceived isolation post-stroke to hopefully prevent this exacerbation of histological damage and subsequent depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, United States.
authors.forename: Lena M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, United States.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, United States.
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mwilambwe-Tshilobo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, United States; Frank. H. Netter School of Medicine Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT 06518, United States.
authors.forename: Lisa H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, United States.
authors.forename: Venugopal R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Venna
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, United States. Electronic address: lmcullough@uchc.edu.
authors.forename: Louise D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: McCullough
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003863:Depression; D006799:Housing, Animal; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity; D012934:Social Isolation; D020521:Stroke / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: BDNF; Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor; BrainDerived Neurotrophic Factor; Forced Swim Test; MCAO; Middle cerebral artery occlusion; PH; PSA; PSD; SH; SI or ISO; ST; Social isolation; middle cerebral artery occlusion; pair-housed; post-stroke anxiety; post-stroke depression; sham surgery; social isolation; stroke surgery