N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Ameliorate Neurobehavioral Outcomes Post-Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the <i>Fat-1</i> Mouse Model

Concussions and mild traumatic brain injury (m-TBI) have been identified as a consequential public health concern because of their potential to cause considerable impairments in physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social functions. Given their prominent structural and functional roles in the brain,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jessica-Dominique Lecques, Brynna J. K. Kerr, Lyn M. Hillyer, Jing X. Kang, Lindsay E. Robinson, David W. L. Ma
Format: article
Language:EN
Published: MDPI AG 2021
Subjects:
TBI
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/e64da5a994924ac999d69b7717c9927d
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Summary:Concussions and mild traumatic brain injury (m-TBI) have been identified as a consequential public health concern because of their potential to cause considerable impairments in physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social functions. Given their prominent structural and functional roles in the brain, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been identified as a potentially viable prophylactic agent that may ameliorate the deleterious effects of m-TBI on brain function. The purpose of the present pilot study was to investigate the effect of n-3 PUFA on neurologic function using a weight drop injury (WDI) model. <i>Fat-1</i> mice, capable of synthesizing n-3 PUFA endogenously from n-6 PUFA, and their wild-type (WT) counterparts, were subjected to a mild low-impact WDI on the closed cranium, and recovery was evaluated using the neurological severity score (NSS) to assess the motor and neurobehavioral outcomes. In comparison to the WT mice, the <i>fat-1</i> mice had a significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) lower NSS at all time points post-WDI, and significantly greater neurological restoration measured as the time to first movement. Overall, these findings demonstrate the protective effect of n-3 PUFA against mild brain injury.