Swimming Alleviates Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Memory Impairment by Enhancing of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in the Hippocampus of Rats

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to induce many neuropsychiatric disorders. In the present study, we investigated the effects of swimming on the memory function and expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) in the hippocampus, following TBI in rats. The animals were randomly divided into three groups (n=10 in each group): sham-operation group, TBI-induction group, and TBI-induction and swimming group. TBI was induced by an electromagnetic-controlled cortical impact. The animals in the swimming group were forced to swim for 30 min once daily, for ten consecutive days. TBI deteriorated memory function and suppressed expressions of both BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus. Swimming alleviated TBI-induced memory impairment and also enhanced expressions of BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus. In the present results, TBI elicited memory disturbance and swimming overcame the TBI-induced memory impairment through suppression on BDNF level in the hippocampus, thus facilitated recovery after brain injury. Herein, we suggest that swimming may be used as the useful strategy for the functional recovery of the brain following brain damage. (Korean J Str Res 2011;19:205∼212)