DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/262B-5D40

Defense Date

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Anatomy & Neurobiology

First Advisor

Kimberle Jacobs

Second Advisor

John Greer

Third Advisor

Jeffrey Dupree

Abstract

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is an extremely common affliction with an estimated 42 million people being affected by it worldwide each year. It can lead to a range of long-term chronic issues and the underlying pathology is not well understood. Several previous studies have shown that parvalbumin inhibitory interneurons (PV+) are injured during TBI, therefore altering the excitatory to inhibitory ratio in neural networks which can lead to several neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy. Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are an extracellular matrix element that preferentially surround PV+ neurons in the neocortex and are recently thought to have important roles in neuroplasticity and may serve as protection for PV+ neurons. While several studies have previously examined how PNNs are affected after injury, all of these studies have either focused on the hippocampus or have a severe injury level indicating contusion. The central fluid percussion injury model used for this study was created to model mTBI without contusion, as a diagnosis in humans lacks contusion injury. In this study, we were able to confirm a reduction of PNNs around some PV+ cells in the neocortex after mTBI without contusion injury. We were also able to show that the majority of axotomized PV+ cells were either surrounded by little WFA or no WFA staining indicating the majority of injured PV+ cells have weak or no PNNs present

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

8-7-2023

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