scholarly journals Lickometry: A novel and sensitive method for assessing functional deficits in rats after stroke

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 755-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jewel Ahmed ◽  
Dominic M Dwyer ◽  
Tracy D Farr ◽  
David J Harrison ◽  
Stephen B Dunnett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Cerebral Artery ◽  
Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion ◽  
Artery Occlusion ◽  
Precise Method ◽  
Functional Deficits ◽  
Sensorimotor Deficits ◽  
Stroke Research ◽  
Cerebral Artery Occlusion ◽  
Sensitive Method

The need for sensitive, easy to administer assessments of long-term functional deficits is crucial in pre-clinical stroke research. In the present study, we introduce lickometry (lick microstructure analysis) as a precise method to assess sensorimotor deficits up to 40 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Impairments in drinking efficiency compared to controls, and a compensatory increase in the number of drinking clusters were observed. This highlights the utility of this easy to administer task in assessing subtle, long-term deficits, which could be likened to oral deficits in patients.

scholarly journals Systematic and detailed analysis of behavioural tests in the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model of stroke: Tests for long-term assessment

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 1349-1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca C Trueman ◽  
Claris Diaz ◽  
Tracy D Farr ◽  
David J Harrison ◽  
Anna Fuller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Cerebral Artery ◽  
Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion ◽  
Cerebral Artery ◽  
Artery Occlusion ◽  
Small Lesion ◽  
Stroke Research ◽  
Occlusion Model ◽  
Behavioural Tests ◽  
Cerebral Artery Occlusion

In order to test therapeutics, functional assessments are required. In pre-clinical stroke research, there is little consensus regarding the most appropriate behavioural tasks to assess deficits, especially when testing over extended times in milder models with short occlusion times and small lesion volumes. In this study, we comprehensively assessed 16 different behavioural tests, with the aim of identifying those that show robust, reliable and stable deficits for up to two months. These tasks are regularly used in stroke research, as well as being useful for examining striatal dysfunction in models of Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease. Two cohorts of male Wistar rats underwent the intraluminal filament model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (30 min) and were imaged 24 h later. This resulted in primarily subcortical infarcts, with a small amount of cortical damage. Animals were tested, along with sham and naïve groups at 24 h, seven days, and one and two months. Following behavioural testing, brains were processed and striatal neuronal counts were performed alongside measurements of total brain and white matter atrophy. The staircase, adjusting steps, rotarod and apomorphine-induced rotations were the most reliable for assessing long-term deficits in the 30 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion model of stroke.

scholarly journals A long-term locomotor function and cognition study following middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Hyuk-Sang Jung ◽  
Hyun-Sam Lee ◽  
Jung-Won Shin ◽  
Doo-Jae Lee ◽  
Ran Won ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Cerebral Artery ◽  
Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion ◽  
Cerebral Artery ◽  
Artery Occlusion ◽  
Locomotor Function ◽  
Cerebral Artery Occlusion

scholarly journals A New Primate Model of Focal Stroke: Endothelin-1—Induced Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion and Reperfusion in the Common Marmoset

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Virley ◽  
Sarah J. Hadingham ◽  
Jenny C. Roberts ◽  
Belinda Farnfield ◽  
Heather Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Cerebral Artery ◽  
Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion ◽  
Cerebral Artery ◽  
Common Marmoset ◽  
Artery Occlusion ◽  
Primate Model ◽  
Endothelin 1 ◽  
The Common ◽  
Cerebral Artery Occlusion

The purpose of the present set of studies was to develop a new primate model of focal ischemia with reperfusion for long-term functional assessment in the common marmoset. Initially, the cerebral vascular anatomy of the marmoset was interrogated by Araldite-cast and ink-perfusion methods to determine the feasibility of an intravascular surgical approach. The methods showed that the internal carotid artery was highly tortuous in its passage, precluding the development of an extracranial method of inducing temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion in the marmoset. A pilot dose-response study investigated an intracranial approach of topically applying endothelin-1 (ET-1) to the M2 portion of the middle cerebral artery in a small sample of marmosets for up to 6 hours (n = 2 or 3 per group). Dose-dependent reductions in middle cerebral artery vessel caliber followed by gradual reperfusion were inversely related to increases in corrected lesion volume after ET-1 treatment, relative to vehicle control application. Finally, the functional consequences of ET-1–induced lesions to the M2 vascular territory were assessed up to 24 hours after surgery using the optimal dose established in the pilot study (2.5 nmol/25 μL). ET-1–treated marmosets (n = 4) showed marked contralateral motor deficits in grip strength and retrieval of food rewards and contralateral sensory/motor neglect towards tactile stimulation, relative to their ipsilateral side and vehicle-treated marmosets (n = 4). Strong correlations were shown between contralateral impairments and histopathologic parameters, which revealed unilateral putamen and cortical damage to the middle cerebral artery territory. No deficits were shown on general mobility, and self-care was promptly resumed in ET-1 marmosets after surgery. These results show that this novel model of ischemia with reperfusion in the marmoset has the potential to assess long-term function and to gauge the efficacy of novel therapeutic strategies targeted for clinical stroke.

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