Page 78 - NNS 2014 Program & Abstract Book

EtOH exposure sessions (day 24). During this delayed consumption
period, injured mice demonstrated significantly increased intake
compared to initial consumption volume on day 1 of EtOH access,
which was not observed in controls. These data demonstrate that
experimental mild TBI increases chronic EtOH consumption com-
pared to controls and that this effect is pronounced in the delayed
post-TBI period. These results reflect clinical observations of in-
creased alcohol consumption in brain-injured patients in the prolonged
recovery period, providing a useful tool for defining mechanisms un-
derlying TBI-related alcohol dependence.
Key words
addiction, alcoholism, behavior, striatum
B1-05
VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION AND NONPARETIC LIMB
TRAINING MODIFY STROKE RECOVERY
Nguyen, A., Khodaparast, N., Hays, S.A., Kilgard, M.P., Rennaker,
R.L.
University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sci-
ences, Richardson, USA
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a safe, tolerable treatment that has
been shown to drive powerful, long-lasting plasticity especially when
paired with somatosensory inputs. VNS paired with rehabilitative
training has been shown to improve functional recovery beyond what
can be achieved by rehabilitative training alone in models of stroke.
Though preclinical studies of stroke have repeatedly shown the bene-
ficial effect of VNS on stroke recovery, clinical trials involving targeted
plasticity therapy after stroke in humans have not been as successful.
Stroke can cause impairments in the upper extremities. Early post-
stroke rehabilitation by way of occupational therapy often includes
extensive training of the unimpaired forelimb which can provide some
immediate functional benefits, however recent studies suggest that this
training may interfere with functional recovery of the paretic forelimb.
To test this hypothesis, rats will be trained on a novel, skilled-reach
force generation task to asymptotic performance. Upon attainment of
task proficiency, a nonparetic forelimb training paradigm will be im-
plemented following the induction of a chronic ischemic lesion, after
which recovery of the paretic forelimb will be assessed. VNS will be
paired with rehabilitative training and therapeutic potential in this
model will also be assessed. After the completion of therapy, in-
tracortical microstimulation techniques will be employed to develop
high-resolution maps of the cortical representations of peripheral
movements. We predict that the beneficial effects of VNS on stroke
therapy will be blocked or reduced by early post-stroke training of the
nonparetic forelimb. The effects of nonparetic forelimb training and
VNS based therapies on stroke recovery will enrich the understanding
of the neural mechanisms of functional recovery from stroke and could
serve as evidence to challenge existing post-stroke clinical intervention
strategies and improve stroke recovery in stroke patients.
Key words
stroke recovery, targeted plasticity therapy, vagus nerve stimulation
B1-06
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SLICE CONCUSSION EDUCA-
TION PROGRAM FOR CHICAGO YOUTH
Greif, T.R.1, Scheinman, S.1, Daneshvar, D.2, Kozlowski, D.A.1
1DePaul University, Department of Biological Sciences, Chicago, IL
2Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that between
1.6 and 3.8 million student athletes experience concussions each year.
Sports Legacy Institute Community Educators (SLICE) is a student-
run organization that teaches elementary, middle school, and high
school students around the country about symptoms, associated risks,
and appropriate responses to concussions. The original SLICE pro-
gram in Boston was shown to have a significant impact on students’
concussion knowledge (Bagley et al., 2012). DePaul University’s
SLICE program was the first chapter established outside of Boston,
and therefore was assessed during its first year. In the present Chicago
study, students in participating schools, ranging in age from 9–19
years (N = 299), were given an interactive presentation complete with
demonstrations, discussions, and case studies. SLICE presenters gave
participants surveys before (n = 299) and immediately after (n = 272)
the program to assess knowledge of concussion symptoms and ap-
propriate responses to a concussion. A one-tailed t-test showed a
significant difference in mean survey scores between groups before
and after the SLICE presentation (t = - 11.804, p < 0.0001). A sig-
nificant improvement in scores was observed such that scores in-
creased by 17% after the presentation, from an average failing score
(< 50%) to an average passing score (> 50%). Additionally, a binomial
distributions test revealed that there was a significantly higher overall
passing rate on the post surveys than on the pre surveys (z = 6.86,
p < 0.05). Results also show that female students scored higher overall
than males (t = - 5.902, p < .0001). Preliminary results suggest that the
SLICE program in Chicago is effective in promoting concussion
knowledge. Further analysis will include the examination of surveys
collected one-month post presentation to help determine sustainability
of concussion knowledge.
Key words
concussion, education, mild traumatic brain injury
B1-07
NEUROENDOCRINE AND NUTRITION STATUS IN ACTIVE
DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS WITH MTBI AND PSYCHOLO-
GICAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS
Brooks, P., Casagrande, G., Caban, J., Hoover, P., DeGraba, T.
National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Bethesda, USA
The objective is to characterize neuro-endocrine and nutritional status
of service members (SM) returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with
traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health conditions be-
ing cared for in an interdisciplinary 4 week program at the National
Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE). A fasting morning laboratory
panel evaluating neuroendocrine (NE) function and nutritional status
was obtained in the first week.
235 consecutive SMs comprised the sample (mean age 34.68– 8.2
years, 96.3% male, average time in service 12 – 7.5 years, 82% with
blast-related mTBI, and 85% with more than one mTBI. All SM were
6 months from time of last TBI. Laboratory results related to NE
function and nutritional status were examined. BMI (average) =
28.29 – 4.03.
Neuroendocrine Test Results (percentage of cohort with abnormal
results): Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) 0.0%; Thyroid-stimulating
hormone (TSH) 5.8%; Free T4 3.4%; Cortisol (serum) 18.86%; Free
testosterone 8.84%; Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) 16.33%;
Luteinizing hormone (LH) 4.00%, and Prolactin 13.23%. Nutritional
Status Test Results (percentage of cohort with abnormal results):
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