Fractal and Multifractal Analysis as Methods of Quantifying Dendritic Complexity Changes in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model

Abstract

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts hippocampal neurogenesis and dendritic structure. Objective: The objective was to assess whether fractal and multifractal analyses can sensitively quantify dendritic complexity changes in newly formed dentate gyrus neurons following TBI and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). Methods: Adult rats underwent sham surgery with HBO (SHBO), lesion-induced TBI (L), or lesion-induced TBI with HBO (LHBO). Dendritic morphology was evaluated using Euclidean, monofractal, and multifractal metrics. Results: Lesioned animals exhibited marked reductions in dendritic complexity across multiple metrics compared to both HBO-treated groups. HBO treatment partially restored complexity to near-sham levels, with multifractal spectra revealing subtle structural differences between SHBO and LHBO. Conclusions: Fractal and multifractal analyses provide sensitive tools for detecting TBI-induced morphological changes and therapeutic effects. Our findings support HBO as a potential neuroprotective intervention and demonstrate the utility of mathematical modeling in evaluating therapeutic efficacy in neurotrauma.