image: The mild traumatic brain injury weight drop model for adult zebrafish allows administration of a non-penetrating, diffuse injury to the brain of an adult zebrafish. The fish are anesthetized, placed on the foam cradle and receive a strike from a 0.33g ball bearing. The bottom of the guide tube is fixed approximately 1 cm above the zebrafish cranium, ensuring impact in a targeted location between the eyes of the fish. view more
Credit: Maheras et al., eNeuro (2018)
A simple and inexpensive zebrafish model of concussion, reported in eNeuro, reveals the genetic pathways underlying the animal's remarkable ability to regenerate injured brain tissue. Understanding the mechanisms of regeneration in the zebrafish brain could ultimately help identify new ways to promote recovery from head injury in humans.
Mild traumatic brain injury, better known as concussion, is a common and underreported physical trauma caused by a blow to the head. Rory Spence and colleagues developed a technique to induce concussion and study recovery in a line of zebrafish that are very genetically similar to humans. They found that, within the first three days of injury, fish in the concussion group were slower to find a school of fish with which they previously swam, a measure of spatial memory which is impaired in other animal models of concussion and human patients. The researchers identified differences in the expression of genes involved in various aspects of the injury response and recovery, including the proliferation and migration of new brain cells, compared to control fish.
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Article: Genetic Pathways of Neuroregeneration in a Novel Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Model in Adult Zebrafish
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0208-17.2018
Corresponding author:
Rory Spence
Keck Science Department
Claremont, CA, USA
rory.spence@gmail.com
About eNeuro
eNeuro, the Society for Neuroscience's new open-access journal launched in 2014, publishes rigorous neuroscience research with double-blind peer review that masks the identity of both the authors and reviewers, minimizing the potential for implicit biases. eNeuro is distinguished by a broader scope and balanced perspective achieved by publishing negative results, failure to replicate or replication studies. New research, computational neuroscience, theories and methods are also published.
About The Society for Neuroscience
The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 37,000 members in more than 90 countries and over 130 chapters worldwide.
Journal
eNeuro