Thesis
Social behavior deficits in adolescence following neonate traumatic brain injury
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jul 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/fgz8-2c50
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury early in life can lead to multiple long-term consequences including deficits in social behavior. We found neonate brain-injured rats maintained normal sociability but had deficits in social recognition in both adolescence and adulthood. Social recognition is in part controlled by the prefrontal cortex which is involved in many aspects of cognition. Despite social recognition deficits these rats retained normal object recognition, suggesting social and object memory are regulated by different mechanisms. Neonate brain-injured rats in adolescence were found to have lower inhibitory currents and a higher excitatory/inhibitory balance in the prefrontal cortex compared to sham animals. Oxytocin is a pro-social neuropeptide that is believed to attach salience to social stimuli. Injury does not change oxytocin mRNA synthesis in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, which is the main site for central oxytocin production. Oxytocin receptor mRNA in the prefrontal cortex also does not change. Giving oxytocin intranasally one hour before testing in adolescence improved social recognition in neonate brain-injured rats. Bath application of oxytocin to brain slices returned brain-injured animals in adolescence back to sham levels of inhibitory currents and excitatory/inhibitory balance. These results show TBI can have long lasting effects on social behavior and oxytocin is a potential therapeutic remedy.
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Details
- Title
- Social behavior deficits in adolescence following neonate traumatic brain injury
- Creators
- Avery Michiko Runyan - DU
- Contributors
- Ramesh Raghupathi (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)Jessica R. Barson (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vii, 88 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Medicine; Neurology; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 9949; 991014632294704721