Investigation of quantitative structural changes in astrocyte cells after laser-induced shockwave.

Significance: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) arises from external forces impacting the brain, leading to outcomes that range from mild to severe. Despite continuous scientific advancements, TBI remains a significant cause of physical impairment and mortality. In recent years, blast-induced TBI (bTBI) has become more prominent due to the use of explosive devices, necessitating accurate models to simulate and study the effects of shockwaves on brain tissue. To better understand bTBI at the cellular level, various models have been proposed. Laser-induced shockwaves (LISs) have emerged as an effective method to simulate bTBI in a controlled environment by generating shockwaves through pulsed laser-induced plasma formation. Aim: We introduce a cost-efficient method to investigate cellular morphology changes in response to mechanical stress by combining LIS and quantitative phase microscopy (QPM). Approach: QPM, a label-free imaging technique, facilitates quantitative visualization of cellular dynamics. The integration of LIS and QPM enabled the precise assessment of type 1 astrocyte cells under shear stress, revealing both immediate and sustained morphological changes. Results: Key findings include significant alterations in some morphological features such as surface area to volume ratio ( Conclusions: The integrated QPM-LIS approach serves as a powerful tool for studying quantitative cellular dynamics, opening the door to further investigations of astrocyte and other brain cell morphologies in response to mechanical forces, with broad implications for neurological research and therapy development.