Automated monitoring of early neurobehavioral changes in mice following traumatic brain injury

Neural Regeneration Research, 2016 · DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.177732 · Published: February 1, 2016

Simple Explanation

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to sensory, motor, emotional, and sleep problems. Identifying early behavioral changes after TBI can help predict long-term outcomes and allow for timely interventions to improve recovery. This study uses an automated system called SmartCage to monitor behavior changes in mice after a controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury, focusing on locomotor activity, sleep/wake states, and anxiety-like behaviors in their home cages during the early phase of TBI. The SmartCage system provides sensitive and objective measures for early behavior changes in mice following TBI, by simultaneously assessing multiple behavior activities in the home cage-like environment.

Study Duration

7 days

Participants

14 female SPF C57/BL6 mice

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Spontaneous activities, including travelled distance and rearing up counts, were significantly decreased in mice receiving CCI at 1 and 2 days after injury, which was strongly correlated with neurological score and tissue damage.
2
CCI-injured mice exhibited a significant increase in the average percentage of sleep time during both the dark and light cycles compared with the sham group, indicating that more sleep is needed following CCI.
3
CCI mice displayed lower exploration and higher anxiety-like behavior, spending more time in the dark compartment and exhibiting a significant decrease in the number of entries at 1 day after injury.

Research Summary

The study used the SmartCage system to monitor early neurobehavioral changes in mice following traumatic brain injury (TBI). It focused on detecting changes in locomotor activity, sleep patterns, and anxiety-related behaviors. The findings showed that mice with CCI exhibited reduced spontaneous motor activity, increased sleep time, and increased anxiety-like behavior. These changes were correlated with neurological scores and tissue damage. The researchers concluded that the SmartCage system offers a sensitive, objective, and reliable method for detecting early behavior changes after TBI, which can be valuable for assessing different injury models and therapeutic efficacy.

Practical Implications

Early Detection

The SmartCage system enables early detection of neurobehavioral deficits following TBI, which can aid in predicting long-term outcomes.

Objective Assessment

The automated system provides objective and quantitative measures of behavior, minimizing subjective bias in assessment.

Therapeutic Evaluation

The SmartCage system can be used to evaluate the efficacy of different therapeutic interventions for TBI.

Study Limitations

1
The study was limited to short-term assessments (7 days post-injury), and the long-term predictive validity of these early changes needs further investigation.
2
Whether the SmartCage system can differentiate behavior impairments among different injury severities of TBI remains to be determined.
3
The study used only female mice, so the findings may not be generalizable to male mice or other populations.

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