Enhancing cognitive function after traumatic brain injury in male mice: The benefits of running regardless of intervention timing

The significant benefits of physical activity are well-documented in academic literature, with growing evidence highlighting its positive effects (among others) on memory and cognitive function. Exercise, particularly aerobic activities, has been shown to mitigate neuroinflammatory processes, promote neuronal regeneration, facilitate recovery from cerebral trauma, and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Among neurological conditions, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common in individuals under 50, with 80–90 % of cases categorized as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This study investigates the impact of exercise on visual and spatial memory deficits in mice following mTBI. ICR mice were subjected to a seventeen-day treadmill training protocol initiated at four different time intervals post-mTBI (2, 7, 13, and 30 days). A battery of specific behavioral tests was used to assess anxiety-like behaviors, motor skills, and visual and spatial memory. Our results indicate that running positively affected mTBI in both novel object recognition (p < 0.001) and Y-maze (p < 0.001) regardless of the running protocol's initiation time, demonstrating that aerobic exercise significantly alleviates cognitive deficits associated with mTBI. Importantly, mTBI did not appear to impact motor abilities or anxiety-like behaviors based on the assessment paradigms utilized. In conclusion, aerobic exercise effectively enhances visual and spatial memory post-mTBI, with promising results observed even when the running protocol is initiated up to one-month post-injury.