The Effects of Social Isolation on Regional Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in a Model of Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Authors: Anduela Thaqi, Gianna DeMarco, Emily Schellinger, Dinlin Chen, Abbie Chapman

Field of Study: Integrative Neuroscience

Program Affiliation: First-year Research Immersion (FRI), Undergraduate Conference Presentation Fund (UCPF), Undergraduate Research Award (URA)

Faculty Mentors: Abbie Chapman

Easel: 98

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: This study investigated how social isolation influences blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and cognition in a model of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were either socially-housed with environmental enrichment or socially-isolated. Their long-term and spatial working memory was then tested. BBB permeability was measured using fluorescent tracers in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and circulating inflammatory markers were measured using ELISAs. Social isolation impaired both long-term and spatial working memory in males but not females. Isolated males also exhibited higher BBB permeability in the hippocampus, whereas females showed no isolation-induced BBB disruption. Similarly, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 levels increased with social isolation in male SHR but not in females. These findings indicate region- and sex-specific susceptibility to social isolation, with male SHR showing greater susceptibility, and highlight social isolation as a potential risk factor for cognitive impairment in VCI.