UNILATERAL CORTICAL CONTUSION INJURY IN THE RAT - VASCULAR DISRUPTIONAND TEMPORAL DEVELOPMENT OF CORTICAL NECROSIS

Cerebrovascular disruption and cortical pathology resulting from eithe r moderate (M-TBI) or severe (S-TBI) traumatic brain injury produced b y a pneumatically-driven cortical contusion device were assessed in ad ult male rats sacrificed at 6 and 24 h or 8 and 30 days after injury t o the right sensorimotor cortex. Epidural, subdural, subarachnoid, pet echial (cortex and corpus callosum), and/or intraventricular hemorrhag e was present in all animals, more extensively and severely following S-TBI. At 6 or 24 h after TBI, acidophilic (acid fuchsin-positive) neu rons were numerous and widespread (S-TBI > M-TBI) in the ipsilateral c ontused cortex. By 8 days few acidophilic neurons were present in peri -impact regions of the ipsilateral neocortex, and none were detected i n cortex 30 days postinjury. Both M-TBI and S-TBI groups had enlarged ipsilateral cortical volumes (edema) at 6 and 24 h postcontusion. Eigh t and 30 days after injury the mean volume of cortical necrosis was si gnificantly larger in S-TBI than in M-TBI rats, and cortical necrosis in both TBI conditions increased between 8 to 30 days postinjury. Thes e results indicate that this pneumatically-driven contusion device pro duces reliable and consistent primary and secondary cortical histopath ology, the extent of which is related to the severity of initial injur y.