Fresh Frozen Plasma After TBI Improves Global Neurologic Recovery but Worsens Spatial Learning

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

8:45 AM - 9:45 AM Central Time

Location: Connections Central - RST 06

Alexandra M. Kauffman, BS (she/her/hers)

New Jersey

Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose.
PS

Patricia Santos Carlin, MD

Research Fellow
University of Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.
AG

Anastasia Georges, PhD

Research Technician
University of Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.
MC

Michael Coons, BA

Research Fellow
University of Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.
DA

Daunel Augustin, MS

Research Technician
University of Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.
LK

Lewis J. Kaplan, MD, FACS, FCCP (he/him/his)

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.
DM

David Meaney, PhD

Vice Provost for Research
University of Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.
DS

Douglas Smith, MD

Director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair
University of Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.
GB

Gary Bass, MD, PhD, FICS, FEBS (Em Surg)

Assistant Professor of Surgery, Biostatistics and Epidemiology
University of Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.
Jose Pascual-Lopez, MD, PhD, FACS, FCCM, FRCSC

University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

Disclosure information not submitted.

Introduction: FFP improves mortality in combined hemorrhagic shock and TBI. However, FFP’s effects on neurological recovery after isolated TBI are unknown. We hypothesized that post-TBI FFP resuscitation would improve mouse neurologic recovery.

Methods: CD1 male mice underwent sham craniectomy (S) or severe TBI via controlled cortical impact (CCI) and received 0.3 mL of FFP or normal saline (placebo, P) i.v. 30 min later. Daily body weight and Garcia Neurological Test (GNT) were used to gauge global neurological recovery. Mice underwent Morris water maze (MWM) or Barnes Maze (BM) exercises to assess spatial/cued learning and memory by swimming to a dry platform (zone 5 or greater surrounding concentric zones 6-8) or walking to an escape hole, respectively. Performance parameters included distance, duration in and latency to target zones.

Results: FFP improved global neurological recovery with higher GNT scores ([Day 6] CCI+P: 16.8+/-0.2 vs CCI+FFP: 17.8+/-0.1, p=0.0002) and greater body weight recovery ([Day 9] CCI+P: 0.008+/-0.6 vs CCI+FFP: 2.4+/-0.5, p=0.04). Cued learning and memory were unimpacted by FFP but spatial learning assessed by MWM was consistently worsened by FFP after CCI versus placebo (greater latency to zone 1 (CCI+P: 3.9+/-0.4 vs. CCI+FFP: 8.6+/-0.9, p< 0.0001), zone 6 (CCI+P: 15.9+/-1.5 vs CCI+FFP: 23.9+/-1.8, p=0.002) and zone 7 (CCI+P: 12.2+/-1.4 vs CCI+FFP: 20.0+/-1.7, p=0.0006), as well as a greater swimming distance to zone 1 (CCI+P: 12.1+/-0.6 vs CCI+FFP: 15.9+/-0.8, p=0.0007), zone 5 (CCI+P: 26.3+/-0.8 vs CCI+FFP: 29.6+/-0.9, p=0.02), zone 6 (CCI+P: 23.2+/-0.8 vs CCI+FFP: 26.5+/-0.9, p=0.02), and zone 7 (CCI+P: 20.4+/-0.7 vs CCI+FFP: 23.8+/-0.8, p=0.01).

Conclusions: FFP after severe isolated TBI improves global neurological recovery but not through improvements in learning or memory. Spatial learning unexpectedly appears to be pervasively worsened by FFP. Further investigation is needed to elucidate which aspects of cognition, FFP benefits or harms when given after TBI.