Gene expression indicates a neuroplastic response after diffuse brain injury. From sham, 7d and 28d fluid percussion brain-injured (FPI) animals, mRNA was isolated from the somatosensory cortex (S1BF), ventral posterior medial thalamus (VPM) and hippocampus. The relative expression of sprouting genes (GAP-43, synaptophysin) was quantified using real-time quantitative PCR. In S1BF, plasticity markers continually increased, whereas plasticity markers in VPM and hippocampus initially decreased and then returned to or above uninjured levels. *, p<0.05 vs. sham; +, p<0.05 vs 7d FPI.