Low-Field Magnetic Stimulation Restores Cognitive and Motor Functions in the Mouse Model of Repeated Traumatic Brain Injury: Role of Cellular Prion Protein

• Published in: Journal of neurotrauma Vol. 36; no. 22; pp. 3103 - 3114
• Main Authors: Sekar, Sathiya, Zhang, Yanbo, Miranzadeh Mahabadi, Hajar, Parvizi, Amirhassan, Taghibiglou, Changiz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Mary Ann Liebert, Inc 15.11.2019
• Subjects: Animal cognition; Biomarkers; Circadian rhythm; Circadian rhythms; Cognitive ability; Complications; Concussion; Cortex; Experiments; Exploration; Gene expression; Glial fibrillary acidic protein; Hemispheric laterality; Hippocampus; Laboratories; Magnetic fields; Neurodegeneration; Neuroprotection; Prion protein; Proteins; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Traumatic brain injury; TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY; LOCOMOTOR FUNCTION; BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENTS; ANIMAL STUDIES; GLIA CELL RESPONSE TO INJURY
• ISSN: 0897-7151; 1557-9042; 1557-9042
• DOI: 10.1089/neu.2018.5918

Traumatic brain injury/concussion (TBI) is a growing epidemic throughout the world. Memory and neurobehavioral dysfunctions are among the sequelae of TBI. Dislodgement of cellular prion protein (PrPc) and disruption of circadian rhythm have been linked to TBI. Low-field magnetic stimulation (LFMS) is a new non-invasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) technique that generates diffused and low-intensity magnetic stimulation to deep cortical and subcortical areas. The role of LFMS on PrPc, proteins related to the circadian rhythm, and behavior alterations in a repeated TBI mouse model were studied in the present study. TBI was induced to the mice (right hemisphere) using weight-drop method, once daily for 3 days. LFMS treatment was given for 20 min, once daily for 4 days (immediately after each TBI induction). The results showed that LFMS-treated TBI mice significantly improved cognitive and motor function as evidenced by open field exploration, rota rod, and novel location recognition tasks. In addition, a significant increase in PrPc and decreased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels were observed in cortical and hippocampal regions of LFMS treated TBI mice brain compared to sham-treated TBI mice, whilst NeuN level was significantly increased in cortical region. In LFMS treated mice, a decrease in proteins related to circadian rhythm were observed, compared to sham-treated TBI mice. The results obtained from the study demonstrated the neuroprotective effect of LFMS, which may be through regulating PrPc and/or proteins related to circadian rhythm. Thus, the present study suggests that LFMS may improve the subject's neurological condition following TBI.