Longitudinal Behavioral Assessment of Neonatal Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children and infants is a primary cause of cognitive and behavioral problems that can persist through adulthood. In this study, the long-term behavioral effects of neonatal and juvenile TBI (jTBI) were characterized using mice. At an age of post-natal 7 or 10 days, mice underwent moderate or severe closed skull impact or sham surgery. Behavioral testing was conducted at 6 and 8 months post-injury. Tests administered included the open field activity (general activity levels), zero maze (anxiety), forced swim (depression), rotarod (coordination and balance), and water maze (general/spatial learning). jTBI mice showed elevated activity levels, impaired sensorimotor abilities, impaired spatial learning, and less efficient spatial search strategy use compared with sham animals. These differences were consistent and stable up to 8 months post-injury, suggesting that deficits acquired as the result of a TBI can have long-lasting behavioral impacts.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year

2011

Author dc:creator

• Kamper, Joel

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hartman, Richard E.

• Clinical Psychology
• Brain injuries; Trauma; Infant Behavior
• Longitudinal Behavioral Assessment -- Infants
• Neonatal Traumatic Brain Injury

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/36

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1035