Mechanical trauma induces immediate changes in neuronal network activity

During a traumatic insult to the brain, tissue is subjected to large stresses at high rates which often surpass cellular thresholds leading to cell dysfunction or death. The acute response of neurons to a mechanical trauma, however, is poorly understood. Plasma membrane disruption may be the earliest cellular outcome from a mechanical trauma. The increase in membrane permeability due to such disruptions may therefore play an important role in the initiation of deleterious cascades following brain injury. The immediate consequences of an increase in plasma membrane permeability on the electrophysiological behavior of a neuronal network exposed to the trauma have not been elucidated. We have developed an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that utilizes a novel device capable of applying stress at high rates to neuronal cells cultured on a microelectrode array. The mechanical insult produced by the device caused a transient increase in neuronal plasma membrane permeability, which subsided after 10 min. We were able to monitor acute spontaneous electrophysiological activity of injured cultures for at least 10 min following the insult. Firing frequency, average burst interval and spikes within burst were assessed before and after injury. The electrophysiological responses to the insult were heterogeneous, although an increase in burst intervals and in the variability of the assessed parameters were common. This study provides a multi-faceted approach to elucidate the role of neuronal plasma membrane disruptions in TBI and its functional consequences.