Su Xu1,2, Steve Roys, 23,
Jennifer Racz4, Da Shi1,2, Jiachen Zhuo1,2,
Rao Gullapalli, 23, Gary Fiskum1,4
1Core for Translational Research in
Imaging @ Maryland (C-TRIM), University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, United States; 2Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear
Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United
States; 3Core for Translational Research in Imaging @ Maryland (C-TRIM), University of Maryland
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; 4Anesthesiology
and the Center for Shock Trauma and Anesthesiology Research, University of
Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
Traumatic
brain injury is characterized by acute physiological changes that may play a
significant role in the final outcome resulting from the injury. Experimental
models of TBI provide a useful tool for understanding the early cerebral
metabolic changes induced by the damage. In this study, we investigate the
early post-traumatic changes in neuro-metabolites in the rat brain following
controlled cortical impact injury using in
vivo 1H MRS at 7 Tesla. Significant changes in N-acetylaspartate, glutamate and
choline were observed within the first 3 hours after injury in the
pericontusional area suggesting a possible temporal window for therapeutic
intervention.
Keywords