Exacerbation of Traumatic Brain Injury by Psychological Stress, Hypobaria, and Homocysteinemia
Abstract
United States military service members suffer substantial stress on the battlefield and during aeromedical evacuation. These stressful conditions result in systemic physiological changes that cause the neurotoxic accumulation of substances such as the non-proteinogenic amino acid homocysteine, which can be deleterious to their health and exacerbate combat-related injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). More than 300,000 service members sustained TBI during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with mild TBI (mTBI) representing more than 80% of all TBI cases. Despite longstanding scientific efforts in TBI research, the impact of stress on TBI pathophysiological outcomes is not elucidated. Male Sprague Dawley rats (300-350g; Envigo, CA) were exposed to environmental, physiological, or psychological stress paradigms before and after mTBI by controlled cortical impact. Stress exacerbated several TBI-associated pathological markers, including markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption. Stress-induced exacerbation of mTBI pathological markers subsequently aggravated TBI-associated behavioral deficits, including working memory and anxiety-like behavior. Findings from this study expand the understanding for the development of effective therapeutic strategies to mitigate the impact stress sustained by U.S. service members, resulting in improved TBI pathological outcomes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1173834
Entities
People
- Flaubert Tchantchou
Organizations
- University of Maryland