Electrophysiological Monitoring of Cerebellar Evoked Potentials Following Fluid Percussion Injury

Cerebellum is highly susceptible to traumatic injuries, and yet it has rarely been studied in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Much of the TBI research in the cerebellum has been conducted through histochemical techniques, particularly using selective protein staining. In this study, we investigated if fluid percussion injury (FPI) was detectable using electrophysiological recordings of the cerebellar activity with multi-contact array electrodes. Rats were chronically implanted with micro ECoG electrodes on the paramedian lobule (PML). The FPI was induced via a skull opening near the electrode implant on the cerebellum. Spontaneous and evoked potentials (EPs) featured almost immediate alterations in their waveform patterns after the delivery of pressure pulse. Recorded evoked potential amplitudes declined drastically by the next day. We also studied the linear correlation changes between all the electrode contact pairs and observed a significant decrease (R from > 0.7 to < 0.4, p <.001) as a result of injury. The results suggest that electrophysiological recording with chronic electrode implants can be used as a method of detection and longitudinal monitoring of subtle effects of TBI in the cerebellar circuits.