Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions of people worldwide, many of whom are affected with post-TBI mood disorders or behavioral changes, including aggression or social withdrawal. Diminished functionality can persist for decades after TBI and delay rehabilitation and resumption of employment. It has been established that there is a relationship between these mental disorders and brain injury. However, the etiology and causal relationships behind these conditions are poorly understood. Rodent models provide a helpful tool for researching mood disorders and social impairment due to their natural tendencies to form social hierarchies. Here, we present a rat model of mental complications after TBI using a suite of behavioral tests to examine the causal relationships between changes in social behavior, including aggressive, hierarchical, depressive, and anxious behavior. For this purpose, we used multivariate analysis to identify causal relationships between the above post-TBI psychiatric sequelae. We performed statistical analysis using principal component analysis, discriminant analysis, and correlation analysis, and built a model to predict dominant-submissive behavior based on the behavioral tests. This model displayed a predictive accuracy of 93.3% for determining dominant-submissive behavior in experimental groups. Machine learning algorithms determined that in rats, aggression is not a principal prognostic factor for dominant-submissive behavior. Alternatively, dominant-submissive behavior is determined solely by the rats’ depressive-anxious state and exploratory activity. We expect the causal approach used in this study will guide future studies into mood conditions and behavioral changes following TBI.

Anesthesia in older patients is challenging and requires a range of skills in various techniques, both during surgery and in the post-operative period. Post-operative delirium is one of the most common cognitive dysfunctions after surgery, and elderly patients are at the highest risk. The pathophysiology of post-operative delirium remains incompletely understood. Several mechanisms (vascular, neurodegenerative, neuroimmune, neuroinflammation, drug-induced, stress-induced, and monoaminergic) have been considered to play a role. The type of anesthesia—general (gas, total intravenous), regional, or combined—was identified as a predictive factor. However, numerous prospective and retrospective studies have failed to determine which anesthetic technique is the best for preventing post-operative delirium. The type of surgery appears to be more critical than the type of anesthesia. However, the development of post-operative cognitive dysfunction could be linked to the depth of anesthesia. Dexmedetomidine displayed promising therapeutic potential for the efficient prevention or treatment of hyperactive post-operative delirium. The management of hypoactive post-operative delirium still requires further investigations, particularly in elderly patients.

A gastrosplenic fistula (GSF) is a very rare complication that arises mainly from a splenic or gastric large cell lymphoma. The proximity of the gastric fundus to the enlarged fragile spleen may facilitate the fistulisation. This complication can lead to massive bleeding, which, though uncommon, may be lethal. We present a patient with massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to a GSF. We present a 48-year-old man with a refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who was admitted to our hospital due to hematemesis. On arrival, he was in hemorrhagic shock, and was taken directly to the intensive care unit. The source of bleeding could not be identified on gastroscopy, the patient remained hemodynamically unstable and a laparotomy was performed.A fistula between a branch of the splenic artery and the stomach was identified. The stomach appeared to be involved in the malignant process. After subtotal gastrectomy and splenectomy, the bleeding was controlled. After stabilization, the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit, and 24 hours later was discharged in stable condition. We describe a fistula between a branch of the splenic artery and the stomach, which was accompanied by massive bleeding. An emergency laparotomy saved the patient's life. The purpose of this report is to alert physicians that surgical intervention can be lifesaving in this rare malignant condition. A literature review focusing on the presenting symptoms and the epidemiology of GSF is presented.