Contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging highlights neurovasculature changes following experimental traumatic brain injury in the rat

Abstract

Neurovascular injury has been proposed as a universal pathological hallmark of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with molecular markers of angiogenesis and endothelial function associated with injury severity and morbidity. Sex differences in the neurovasculature response post-TBI may contribute to the differences seen in how males and females respond to injury. Steady-state contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (SSCE-MRI) can be used to non-invasively assess the neurovasculature and may be a useful tool in understanding and predicting outcomes post-TBI. Here we used SSCE-MRI to investigate the neurovasculature of male and female rats at 48 h after an experimental TBI, and how these change..