Heterogeneous regional and temporal energetic impairment following controlled cortical impact injury in rats.

Objectives: Following traumatic brain injury metabolic stability is impaired. Duration and reversibility of these changes might be important to guide specific interventions.

Methods: To characterize temporal and regional changes in cerebral metabolism, 68 male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a focal cortical contusion.

Modulation of electrically induced pain by paired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation of the medial frontal cortex.

Objective: Aim of this study was to investigate whether paired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (ppTMS) applied over the medial frontal cortex (MFC) affects acute Adelta fiber-mediated electrically induced pain. In addition, we investigated whether this effect depends on the time course of the stimulation, on the noxious stimulus intensity or on the ppTMS intensity.

Methods: For painful stimulation, the electrical stimulus for the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) was used.

Effects of LY379268, a selective group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist on EEG activity, cortical perfusion, tissue damage, and cortical glutamate, glucose, and lactate levels in brain-injured rats.

Activating presynaptic group II metabotropic glutamate (mGlu II) receptors reduces synaptic glutamate release. Attenuating glutamatergic transmission without blocking ionotropic glutamate receptors, thus avoiding unfavorable psychomimetic side effects, makes mGlu II receptor agonists a promising target in treating brain-injured patients. Neuroprotective effects of LY379268 were investigated in rats following controlled cortical impact injury (CCI).

Temporal profile of cortical perfusion and microcirculation after controlled cortical impact injury in rats.

Impaired cerebral perfusion contributes to evolving posttraumatic tissue damage. Spontaneous reversibility of reduced perfusion within the first days after injury could make a persisting impact on secondary tissue damage less likely and needs to be considered for possible therapeutic approaches. The present study was designed to characterize the temporal profile and impact of trauma severity on cortical perfusion and microcirculation during the first 48 h after controlled cortical impact injury (CCI).