Mild traumatic brain injury increases vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder in rats and the possible role of hippocampal DNA methylation.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Clinical studies have established that patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are at an increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suggesting that mTBI increases vulnerability to subsequent PTSD onset. However, preclinical animal studies investigating this link remain scarce, and the specific biological mechanism through which mTBI increases vulnerability to PTSD is largely unknown.

Methods

In this study, we modeled mTBI in rats using a mild, closed-head, weight-drop injury, followed 72 h later by exposure to single prolonged stress (SPS) to simulate PTSD. Then, we investigated the impact of mTBI on subsequent PTSD development by observing the behaviors of rats in a series of validated behavioral tests and further explored the

SUBMITTER: Niu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11911326 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature