Reward and Immune Responses in adolescent Females Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury.

Reward and Immune Responses in adolescent Females Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury. Behav Brain Res. 2019 Nov 01;:112333 Authors: Cannella LA, Andrews A, Razmpour R, McGary H, Corbett C, Kahn J, Ramirez SH Abstract The pathology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) adversely affects many brain regions, often resulting in the development of comorbid psychiatric disorders including substance use disorders (SUD). Although traditionally thought to be an epidemic that predominantly affects males, recent clinical studies report females have higher rates of concussions and longer recovery times than males. Yet, how neurotrauma, particularly deep within the brain, between the sexes is differentially manifested remains largely unknown. The risk of TBI peaks during adolescence when neuronal networks that regulate reward behaviors are not fully developed. Previously, using the conditioned place preference (CPP) assay, we found that adolescent TBI increased susceptibility to the rewarding effects of cocaine in male mice. Further, we observed augmented inflammatory profiles, increased microglial phagocytosis of neuronal proteins, and decreased neuronal spine density in the NAc. Notably, the extent of sex differences in SUD susceptibility following TBI has not be investigated. Thus, here we ask the central question of whether the adolescent TBI-induced neuroinflammatory profile at reward centers is divergent in a sex-dependent manner. Usin...
Source: Behavioural Brain Research - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Behav Brain Res Source Type: research