Investigating sources of axonal calcium in neuronal cultures modeling Traumatic Brain Injury

Increased axonal calcium is a common consequence of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs). Understanding the source of this calcium is important to understanding the injury pathway and developing effective therapies. Here we make calcium measurements in live cells after perturbing pieces of the hypothesized TBI pathway, including inducing membrane damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased oxidative stress. The findings provide evidence for dual sources of calcium, both from extracellular influx and intracellular release.