Abstract #2311

The Evolution of Traumatic Brain Injury in a Rat Model: Implications for Cell Tracking with MRI

L. Christine Turtzo^1,2, Matthew D. Budde^1,2, Eric M. Gold^1,2, Bobbi K. Lewis¹, Lindsay E. Janes^1,2, William D. Watson^2,3, Joseph A. Frank^1,2

¹Laboratory of Diagnostic Radiology Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; ²Center for Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States; ³Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States

The natural evolution of experimental traumatic brain injury is not fully characterized in the literature. The primary motor cortex of female Wistar rats was targeted with controlled cortical impact, and lesion evolution was monitored by serial MRI. Injuries that initially appeared similar on early MRI could be markedly different by Day 30. A high degree of hemorrhagic transformation of lesions was observed between days 2 and 9. The evolution of hemorrhage may complicate the interpretation of MRI cell tracking studies utilizing iron-labeled cells.