Trigger 7 (TBI) diagnosis and treatment of TBI

Question 1

What kind of imaging would you use to see axonal damage?

Answer 1

Diffusor tensor imaging (see white matter tracts)

Question 2

What other sorts of imaging is used for initial diagnosis of TBI?

Answer 2

X-rays, CT and MRI

Question 3

What diagnositic tool could you use to see microglia activity in the brain?

Answer 3

PET: label with radioactive dye specific for microglia (translocator protein, TSPO)

Question 4

What is the marker for astrocytes?

Answer 4

GFAP

Question 5

Why is optical coherence tomography used to diagnose neurodegeneration with TBI?

Answer 5

By imaging the retina, you can see macula thickening which is associated with neurodegeneration

Question 6

How do HDAC inhibitors work to combat TBI?

Answer 6

They remove acetyl groups on histone=unwinds DNA.

increases expression of anti-inflammatory mediators

Question 7

What are the molecular markers you can look for to determine TBI severity?

Answer 7

BDNF-its associated with neuronal growth

APOE and TREM2-both are involved in mediating tau

Question 8

What genes are associated with neurodegeneration with TBI that are expressed in microglia?

Answer 8

ApoE (specifically ApoE4)
TREM2
both modulate expression of tau. Tau gets released at injury. This requires TREM2 to work.

Question 9

What genes in microglia help protect against neurodegeneration?

Answer 9

PICALM and BIN1