Consecuencias funcionales y cognitivo-afectivas a largo plazo del infarto cerebral arterial isquémico neonatal en un modelo en rata

Abstract

Arterial ischemic stroke is a pathology that frequently occurs during adulthood, nevertheless it might appear during perinatal period. Therefore, this stage must be considered as well especially susceptible to this disease because of the characteristics of an immature brain that makes it more sensitive to a stroke than an adult’s one. Physiopathology involves three main processes: inflammation, oxidative stress and excitotoxicity. These insults led to brain injury resulting in short and long-lasting motor, cognitive and affective impairment after birth. Post-stroke depression is a very common side-effect after the accident that has been well described in adults, however few important information has been obtained about its development after neonatal stroke. That explains the necessity to elaborate a follow-up study and monitor these patients from the first months of life, during adolescence and adulthood in order to find out whether stroke is an actual risk factor of depression. This would also help to improve their quality of life. The following study aims to understand the short- and long-term depressive behaviors in a rat model for neonatal stroke using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Death cell and pro-inflammatory protein (TLR-4) levels were also evaluated to examine the possible involvement of the apoptosis and inflammation respectively in the observed depressive symptoms.