Ozdemir D.Baykara B.Aksu I.Kiray M.Sisman A.R.Cetin F.Dayi A.Gurpinar T.Uysal N.Arda M.N.2025-04-102025-04-102012http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14701/50589It is well known that traumatic brain injury (TBI) induces the cognitive dysfunction resulting from hippocampal damage. In the present study, we aimed to assess whether the circulating IGF-I levels are associated with cognition and hippocampal damage in 7-day-old rat pups subjected to contusion injury. Hippocampal damage was examined by cresyl violet staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Spatial memory performance was assessed in the Morris water maze. Serum IGF-1 levels decreased in both early and late period of TBI. Decreased levels of serum IGF-1 were correlated with hippocampal neuron loss and spatial memory deficits. Circulating IGF-1 levels may be predictive of cognitive dysfunction resulted from hippocampal damage following traumatic injury in developing brain. Therapy strategies that increase circulating IGF-1 may be highly promising for preventing the unfavorable outcomes of traumatic damage in young children. © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.Article10.1016/j.neulet.2011.11.059