The genetic ablation of tau improves long-term, but not short-term, functional outcomes after experimental traumatic brain injury in mice

Abstract

Primary Objective: This study characterized the acute and chronic effects of tau reduction in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Research Design: A fluid percussion injury (FPI) or a sham-injury was administered to wild type (WT) or tau knockout (Tau-/-) mice. Mice were assigned to a one-week or twelve-week recovery period before behavioral testing and analysis of brain tissue. Methods and Procedures: Mice were tested on the elevated-plus maze, the Y-maze, and rotarod. The twelve-week recovery mice underwent in vivo MRI. Phosphorylated tau in brain tissue was analyzed post-mortem using western blots. Main Outcomes and Results: FPI mice, regardless of genotype, had abnormalities on the elevated-pl..