Neurological dysfunctions versus regional infarction volume after focal ischemia in mongolian gerbils

• Published in: Stroke (1970) Vol. 34; no. 6; pp. 1501 - 1506
• Main Authors: ISHIBASHI, Satoru, KUROIWA, Toshihiko, ENDO, Shu, OKEDA, Riki, MIZUSAWA, Hidehiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.06.2003
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - blood supply; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiopathology; Brain Ischemia - complications; Brain Ischemia - physiopathology; Carotid Artery, Common - physiology; Cerebral Infarction - etiology; Cerebral Infarction - pathology; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Cognition Disorders - physiopathology; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Female; Gerbillinae; Male; Maze Learning; Medical sciences; Motor Activity; Nervous System Diseases - diagnosis; Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Neurology; Severity of Illness Index; Time; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Vision Disorders - diagnosis; Vision Disorders - etiology; Vision Disorders - physiopathology; Animal model; Correlation; Prognosis; Cognitive disorder; Infarct; Cardiovascular disease; gerbils; vision disorders; Vascular disease; Ischemia; Neurological disorder; Cerebrovascular disease; Nervous system diseases; Stroke; cognition; stroke, experimental; Rodentia; behavior, animal; Cerebral disorder; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Treatment; Volume; Animal; Central nervous system disease; Gerbil; Comparative study; Brain (vertebrata)
• DOI: 10.1161/01.STR.0000074034.32371.13
• ISSN: 0039-2499

With advances in the therapy of stroke at the postacute phase, the use of animal models for chronological and region-specific evaluation of neurological function has become increasingly important. Our aim was to test long-term behavioral dysfunction in gerbils after focal ischemia and to correlate the results with the regional distribution of infarction in the coordinating cortical regions. Repetitive unilateral hemispheric ischemia (two 10-minute occlusions, 5-hour interval) was induced in Mongolian gerbils. The elevated body swing test (EBST), bilateral asymmetry test (BAT), and T-maze test were performed to assess asymmetrical motor behavior, somatosensory deficit, and spatial cognitive dysfunction during 4 weeks after ischemia. The results were correlated against the regional infarction volume of the primary motor, somatosensory, and primary visual cortices at 4 weeks after ischemia. In all postischemic gerbils, persistent sensorimotor and cognitive dysfunctions were detectable throughout the postischemic period. Histological examination revealed that a cortical zone of infarction surrounded the selective neuronal death in the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere. The regional infarction volumes of the primary motor, somatosensory, and visual cortices were significantly correlated with the scores of the EBST, BAT, and T-maze test, respectively. These combinations had the highest regression coefficient of all pairs. Postischemic motor and somatosensory functions were significantly correlated with regional infarction volumes in the corresponding cortical regions. In gerbils, visual abnormality could be independently detected by the T-maze test. Such regional analyses of ischemic lesions would be useful for investigating the functional outcomes of stroke therapy.