title: Exercise-induced improvement in cognitive performance after fimbria-fornix transection depends on the timing of exercise administration.
abstract: Exercise after brain injury holds major therapeutic potentials, but it is still uncertain whether such an intervention should take place during the critical time window of intrinsic repair mechanisms.
  
  
  
  To assess the effects of acute or delayed voluntary exercise in running wheels on post-injury allocentric place learning in an 8-arm radial maze.
  
  
  
  Forty-eight pre-shaped male rats underwent fimbria-fornix transection (FF) or control surgery (Sham). The animals were divided into six groups: FF group with no access to exercise (FF/NE); FF group starting exercise 1day post-surgery (FF/E+1); FF group starting exercise 8days post-surgery (FF/E+8); FF group starting exercise 21days post-surgery (FF/E+21); Sham group with no access to exercise (Sham/NE), and Sham group starting exercise 1day post-surgery (Sham/E+1). After 7days of exercise 6h/day, all animals underwent 28 place learning acquisition sessions.
  
  
  
  The FF/E+21 group showed an enhanced acquisition of the task compared to FF/NE. The FF/E+1 and FF/E+8 groups also showed an enhanced task acquisition relative to FF/NE, however with a slower acquisition than the FF/E+21 group.
  
  
  
  The data underscores the link between exercise and functional recovery after brain injury and emphasizes the importance of optimal timing of this intervention.
authors.affiliation: The Unit for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: mgg@gramsmed.dk.
authors.forename: Marie Gajhede
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gram
authors.affiliation: The Unit for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: elisewogensen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wogensen
authors.affiliation: The Unit for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: kfmoseholm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moseholm
authors.affiliation: The Unit for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: jesper.mogensen@psy.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mogensen
authors.affiliation: The Unit for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: hana.mala@psy.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malá
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020712:Fornix, Brain / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Brain injury; Cognitive recovery; Exercise; Place learning; Rat; Timing