Kurzfassung

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability, survivors often suffer from long-term impairment of motor functions, cognition and psychic health. Using the controlled-cortical impact (CCI) model in the motor/somatosensory cortex of mice, the aim is to unravel allostatic and re-balancing mechanisms, which hinder or promote stabilization of dysfunctional GABAergic interneurons and cortical networks after TBI. We plan to perform electrophysiological studies to...Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability, survivors often suffer from long-term impairment of motor functions, cognition and psychic health. Using the controlled-cortical impact (CCI) model in the motor/somatosensory cortex of mice, the aim is to unravel allostatic and re-balancing mechanisms, which hinder or promote stabilization of dysfunctional GABAergic interneurons and cortical networks after TBI. We plan to perform electrophysiological studies to characterize the adaptive switch of VGCCs and assess putative therapeutic effects of the VGCC blocker isradipine. We also plan to address the relevance of HCN currents post TBI. We will also record by use of silicon probes time-dependent alterations in multi-unit activity and oscillatory changes. Miniaturized in vivo endoscopy will monitor neuronal activity over weeks by chronic calcium imaging ("Miniscope").

Finally, we plan to study post-TBI behavior with IntelliCages to observe long-term alterations of cognitive, social and circadian behavior in social groups of mice. Our studies can lead to a deeper understanding of TBI evoked allostasis of cortical neuronal networks and explore preventive and therapeutic strategies to modulate neuronal excitability and TBI-evoked lasting behavioural hyperactivity.» weiterlesen» einklappen