Abstract
In the USA, there are 2.8 million emergency room visits for traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year and about 1.2 million people are living with brain function problems due to TBI. Although much information has been gained from experimental and clinical studies showing how injuries happen, no effective treatments are currently available for TBI. To understand the effects of TBI on the brain and spinal cord, scientists use animal models as a cost-effective research method. Larger animal models, such as pigs or sheep, are closer in bodily functions to humans. However, the use of rodent models is preferred because they are easy to work with in the lab. Importantly, this also fits with the national recommendations to use the lowest mammalian species that can provide the answer to the scientific question. Using rodents, scientists can control specific details, such as the type of brain injury and the severity of the injury. There are ethical concerns about injuring in animals in scientific experiments, but scientists make substantial efforts to ensure the most humane treatment of these animals. Recently, animal models have been used to discover certain proteins, called biomarkers that are present in the brains of people with TBI and could lead to the development of new therapies to prevent or reduce disability that can result from TBI.
Highlights
In the USA, there are . million emergency room visits for traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year and about . million people are living with brain function problems due to Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Repetitive head trauma can lead to the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is brain deterioration caused by repeated head injuries, leading to a loss of memory and other brain skills
Animal models provide a critical method for the study of TBI
Summary
Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics & Biomarkers Research, Departments of Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States. Million people are living with brain function problems due to TBI. To understand the e ects of TBI on the brain and spinal cord, scientists use animal models as a cost-e ective research method. Larger animal models, such as pigs or sheep, are closer in bodily functions to humans. The use of rodent models is preferred because they are easy to work with in the lab. This fits with the national recommendations to use the lowest mammalian species that can provide the answer to the scientific question. Animal models have been used to discover certain proteins, called biomarkers that are present in the brains of people kids.frontiersin.org
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