Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-16-2026

Comments

This article is the author’s final published version in Physiological Reports, Volume 14, Issue 16, 2026, Article number e71055.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.71055. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).

 

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with cardiovascular dysfunction that worsens clinical outcomes, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly under stood. Clinical studies are limited by heterogeneity, highlighting the need for con trolled experimental models. Controlled cortical impact (CCI) provides precise control of injury severity, and invasive pressure- volume (PV) loop analysis allows detailed hemodynamic assessment. Adult male Wistar rats underwent sham op eration or mild or severe CCI- induced TBI. PV- loop assessment and transtho racic echocardiography were performed at 8 or 24 h after TBI or sham. Serum epinephrine (EPI) and norepinephrine (NE) were quantified by ELISA. At 8 h Correspondence Pavan Atluri, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. Email: [email protected] Samuel S. Shin, Department of Neurocritical Care, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Email: samuel.shin@pennmedicine. upenn.edu Funding information University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) post- injury, mild TBI was associated with decreased EES (p = 0.013) and increased V120 (p = 0.016), accompanied by qualitative global hypokinesis on echocardiog raphy. Severe TBI demonstrated decreased cardiac output (p = 0.009) and stroke work (p = 0.006), whereas load- independent systolic indices were unchanged. At 24 h post- injury, severe TBI exhibited persistent global cardiac dysfunction. Serum NE and EPI were similar to shams; however, the NE- to- EPI ratio was de creased 8 h after mild TBI (p = 0.042). These findings suggest that TBI is associ ated with cardiovascular dysfunction that varies with injury severity; however, temporal characterization following mild TBI requires further study. Controlled experimental models provide a valuable platform for elucidating brain- heart in teractions after TBI.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Language

English

PubMed ID

42605137

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