Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2023
Examining Whether Loss of Consciousness is Associated with Worse Performance on the SCAT5 and Slower Clinical Recovery Following Concussion in Professional Athletes.
Video surveillance has almost universally been employed by professional sports to identify signs of concussion during competition. This study examined associations between video-identified possible loss of consciousness (LOC), acute concussion evaluation findings, and recovery time in concussed professional rugby league players. Medical personnel and sideline video operators identified head impact events sustained during three seasons of National Rugby League (NRL) matches to determine the need for further medical evaluation. ⋯ The duration of possible LOC was not associated with the number of games missed or time to medical clearance for match play. According to video review in NRL players, brief LOC might be more common than previously thought. The present study reveals possible LOC is not predictive of missed games or time to recover following concussion.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2023
Serum Caffeine Concentration at the Time of Traumatic Brain Injury and its Long-term Clinical Outcomes.
Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive drugs in the general population. It has a neuroprotective effect in degenerative neurological disorders; however, the association between caffeine and traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcomes is contradictory. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between serum caffeine concentration at the time of injury and long-term functional outcomes of patients with TBI visiting the emergency department (ED). ⋯ In multi-variable logistic regression analysis, the low- and intermediate-caffeine groups were significantly associated with a higher probability of 6-month favorable functional recovery compared with the no-caffeine group [AORs (95% CI): 2.82 (1.32-6.02) and 2.18 (1.06-4.47], respectively. This study showed a significant association between a serum caffeine concentration of 0.01 to 1.66 μg/mL and good functional recovery at 6 months after injury compared with the no-caffeine group of patients with TBI with intracranial injury. These results suggest the possibility of using serum caffeine level as a potential biomarker for TBI outcome prediction and of using caffeine as a therapeutic agent in the clinical care of patients with TBI.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2023
Development of a measure of parent concussion management knowledge and self-efficacy.
Abstract Assessing parent readiness to support their child's post-concussion management requires valid and reliable measures. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop and conduct preliminary tests of reliability and validity of survey measures of parent concussion management knowledge and self-efficacy. Additionally, we tested the hypothesis that among parents of youth who had sustained a concussion, higher scores on measures of knowledge and self-efficacy would predict greater likelihood of engaging in recommended concussion management behaviors during their child's recovery. ⋯ There was no association between concussion management knowledge at discharge and parenting behaviors at follow-up. Parents have the potential to play an important role in concussion management. The measures of knowledge and self-efficacy developed in this study can help identify parent needs and evaluate interventions aiming to support parenting post-concussion.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2023
Optogenetic stimulation of CA1 pyramidal neurons at theta enhances recognition memory in brain injured animals.
Abstract The hippocampus plays a prominent role in learning and memory formation. The functional integrity of this structure is often compromised after traumatic brain injury (TBI), resulting in lasting cognitive dysfunction. The activity of hippocampal neurons, particularly place cells, is coordinated by local theta oscillations. ⋯ Our results show that memory impairments in brain injured animals could be reversed by optogenetically stimulating CA1 pyramidal neurons expressing channelrhodopsin (ChR2) during learning. In contrast, injured animals receiving a control virus (lacking ChR2) did not benefit from optostimulation. These results suggest that direct stimulation of CA1 pyramidal neurons at theta may be a viable option for enhancing memory after TBI.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2023
Repeated mild traumatic brain injury and JZL184 produce sex-specific increases in anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption in Wistar rats.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly comorbid with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Previously, using a lateral fluid percussion model (LFP) (an open-head injury model) to generate a single mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) we showed that TBI produces escalation in alcohol drinking, that alcohol exposure negatively impacts TBI outcomes, and that the endocannabinoid degradation inhibitor (JZL184) confers significant protection from behavioral and neuropathological outcomes in male rodents. In the present study, we used a weight drop model (a closed-head injury model) to produce repeated mild TBI (rmTBI; three TBIs separated by 24 hours) in male and female rats to examine the sex-specific effects on anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption, and whether systemic treatment with JZL184 would reverse TBI effects on those behaviors. ⋯ In Study 2, rmTBI once again increased alcohol consumption in female but not male rats, and repeated systemic treatment with JZL184 did not affect alcohol consumption. Also in Study 2, rmTBI increased anxiety-like behavior in males but not females and repeated systemic treatment with JZL184 produced an unexpected increase in anxiety-like behavior 6-8 days post-injury. In summary, rmTBI increased alcohol consumption in female rats, systemic JZL184 treatment did not alter alcohol consumption, and both rmTBI and systemic JZL184 treatment increased anxiety-like behavior 6-8 days post-injury in males but not females, highlighting robust sex differences in rmTBI effects.