Sex differences in temperature rhythm disruption after traumatic brain injury

Ann N Hoffman¹, Sonya Watson², Yuqing Huang³, Rosanna Burgos Pujols³, Kevin C Bickart⁴, Kenneth P Roos⁵, Michael S Fanselow⁶, Christopher C Giza⁷

Affiliations

¹ Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Easton Labs for Brain Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: hoffmana7@ucla.edu.
² Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Easton Labs for Brain Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁷ Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Easton Labs for Brain Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 40683588
DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2025.115385

Free article

Sex differences in temperature rhythm disruption after traumatic brain injury

Ann N Hoffman et al. Exp Neurol. 2025 Nov.

Free article

. 2025 Nov:393:115385.

doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2025.115385. Epub 2025 Jul 17.

Authors

Ann N Hoffman¹, Sonya Watson², Yuqing Huang³, Rosanna Burgos Pujols³, Kevin C Bickart⁴, Kenneth P Roos⁵, Michael S Fanselow⁶, Christopher C Giza⁷

Affiliations

¹ Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Easton Labs for Brain Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: hoffmana7@ucla.edu.
² Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Easton Labs for Brain Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁷ Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Easton Labs for Brain Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 40683588
DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2025.115385

Abstract

Circadian rhythms are a natural endogenous process that regulates many bodily functions including body temperature and are linked to overall health. Disruptions in circadian rhythms have far reaching effects on systems vulnerable to traumatic brain injury (TBI), including sleep, neuroendocrine and immune function, and mental health. Whether TBI affects temperature rhythms differently in females and males is unknown and may impact recovery trajectory. In this study we measured body temperature rhythms in adult female and male rats in the home cage via passive changes in temperature across the circadian cycle using cosinor analysis at baseline and after mild-moderate lateral fluid percussion injury (FPI). Overall, females had higher temperature compared to males. After sham surgery and FPI, temperature MESOR (midline estimate statistic of rhythm) increased in all groups but to a greater degree in males. In females however, FPI significantly reduced the amplitude and oscillation frequency of their baseline circadian temperature rhythms compared to all other groups. These data indicate sex differences in circadian temperature rhythms following TBI, with loss of rhythmicity in females. Changes in circadian function may underlie or be associated with other sex-dependent physiological changes after TBI, which may offer a potential target for treatment in the recovery after TBI in humans.

Keywords: Activity; Acute injury; Autonomic; Circadian; Recovery; TBI; Temperature.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
- Elsevier Science
Medical
- MedlinePlus Health Information

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Sex differences in temperature rhythm disruption after traumatic brain injury

Affiliations

Sex differences in temperature rhythm disruption after traumatic brain injury

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical