Impact of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Gray Matter Development in Adolescent Rats: Inhibition of Regional Growth

Motivation: Pediatric populations are particularly vulnerable to traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet the longitudinal effects on adolescent brain maturation remain unclear. Goal(s): This study aims to model the growth trajectory in specific brain regions, both with and without mild TBI , to assess its impact on brain development. Approach: We conducted a longitudinal comparison between intact and mild TBI animals. Rats were monitored from postnatal day 36 to 100 assessing brain volume and DTI metrics. Results: Mild TBI disrupted volumetric growth in the hippocampus and whole brain, caused significant enlargement in ventricle, and altered diffusivity metrics, highlighting distinct regional vulnerability and adaptive response following injury. Impact: Our study replicates developmental patterns following pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and highlights how mTBI disrupted growth patterns in the adolescent brain. These findings suggest that clinicians should closely monitor pediatric TBI cases for developmental delays.