Journal of the American College of Nutrition
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Magnesium (Mg) declines after traumatic brain injury (TBI), a decline believed associated with ensuing neuronal cell death and subsequent functional impairment. While Mg's effects on motor and cognitive deficits following TBI have been well studied, few studies have addressed post-traumatic depression as an outcome parameter, despite its being a major clinical problem with an incidence of between 6 and 77%. We investigated the incidence of post-traumatic depression/anxiety in an animal model of diffuse TBI, and explored the use of magnesium sulfate (MgSO(4)) as an interventional treatment. ⋯ The improvement in post-traumatic depression/anxiety conferred by Mg adds further weight to available evidence of Mg's benefit as a neuroprotective agent after TBI.