Browning Jenny R, Whiteman Ashley C, Leung Lai Yee, Lu Xi-Chun May, Shear Deborah A
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, USA.
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, USA.
J Neurosci Methods. 2017 Jan 1;275:45-49. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2016.10.017. Epub 2016 Oct 29.
Negative emotional states resulting from concussion are of increasing concern. In the current study, we developed a model to investigate negative affect following concussion in the projectile concussive impact (PCI) model. High frequency ultrasonic vocalizations (22kHz USVs) are associated with negative affective stimuli in rats. Changes in negative affective state were examined following PCI using a mild air-puff stimulus to elicit 22kHz USVs.
Forty-eight hours post-injury, animals were placed into a clean acrylic box lined with bedding. A 5min baseline recording was followed by 15 air puffs (55psi) spaced 15s apart aimed at the upper back and neck.
Injured animals produced on average 153.5±55.13 more vocalizations than shams, vocalizing on average 4min longer than shams. Additionally, concussed animals vocalized to fewer air-puffs, exhibiting a 1.5 fold lower threshold for the expression of negative affect.
Studies currently used to test negative affective states following concussion in animals, such as the elevated plus maze and forced swim task have, as of yet, been unsuccessful in demonstrating injury effects in the PCI model. While the air-puff test has been applied in other fields, to our knowledge it has not been utilized to study traumatic brain injury.
The current study demonstrates that the air-puff vocalization test may be a valuable tool in assessing negative mood states following concussion in rat models and may be used to evaluate novel therapies following brain injury for the treatment of mood dysfunction.
脑震荡引发的负面情绪状态日益受到关注。在本研究中，我们建立了一个模型，以研究抛射性脑震荡撞击（PCI）模型中脑震荡后的负面影响。高频超声发声（22kHz USV）与大鼠的负面情感刺激有关。在PCI后，使用温和的吹气刺激诱发22kHz USV，检查负面情绪状态的变化。
受伤后48小时，将动物放入铺有垫料的干净丙烯酸盒中。先进行5分钟的基线记录，然后以15秒的间隔对动物的上背部和颈部进行15次吹气（55磅力/平方英寸）。
受伤动物发出的声音平均比假手术组多153.5±55.13次，发声时间平均比假手术组长4分钟。此外，脑震荡动物对较少的吹气产生反应，表现出负面情绪表达阈值降低了1.5倍。
目前用于测试动物脑震荡后负面情绪状态的研究，如高架十字迷宫和强迫游泳任务，在PCI模型中尚未成功证明损伤效应。虽然吹气测试已应用于其他领域，但据我们所知，它尚未用于研究创伤性脑损伤。
本研究表明，吹气发声测试可能是评估大鼠模型脑震荡后负面情绪状态的一种有价值的工具，可用于评估脑损伤后治疗情绪功能障碍的新疗法。
