Flumazenil administration attenuates cognitive impairment in immature rats after controlled cortical impact
Abstract
Evidence suggests that the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system may be involved in cognitive dysfunction following traumatic brain injury (TBI). We investigated the effect of flumazenil treatment, a benzodiazepine antagonist approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, on learning and memory in the immature rat following experimental brain injury. Post-natal day 17 rats were injured using controlled cortical impact. Systemic treatment with flumazenil at 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg was initiated on post-injury day 1 and administered for 13 days via daily intraperitoneal injections. Morris water maze (MWM) testing was used to measure latency to find a submerged platform and the results from experimental and control animals were compared. We demonstrated a significant dose-dependent improvement in MWM performance in drug-treated animals. This is the first study demonstrating the efficacy of flumazenil in reducing post-TBI cognitive deficits and we propose that these effects may be related to modulation of the GABA(A) receptor.
References
The benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil increases acetylcholine release in rat hippocampus
Traumatic brain injury in the developing rat: effects of maturation on Morris water maze acquisition
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Brain Injury & Trauma
brain injury after impact to the head is due to both immediate mechanical effects and delayed responses of neural tissues.