Functional assessments in mice and rats after focal stroke

This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of sensorimotor deficits: in the mouse after focal ischaemia induced by occlusion of the middle cerebra l artery. Twenty four hours after induction of middle cerebral artery occlu sion, mice showed deficits in a range of sensory and motor tasks as assesse d by the SHIRPA protocol. In addition they exhibited a decrease in rotarod performance and locomotor activity. Some behaviours, such as locomotor acti vity, were also impaired in sham operated animals compared to normal contro ls, although these impairments were not as marked as those exhibited by the ischaemic mice. This is the first comprehensive analysis of the short term effects of permanent focal ischaemia in mice. In a second series of experi ments in the rat, rates of recovery over lime were examined. Simple (neurol ogical grades, rotarod) and complex (sticky label test) tasks were examined in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion up to 7 days post-ischaemia . Ischaemic rats: had a profound deficit in contralateral performance on th e sticky label task with no evidence of recovery. A less marked deficit was also observed in ipsilateral performance of this task. These deficits were still present 7 days after ischaemia. Ischaemic rats also exhibited a defi cit on rotarod performance but this had recovered 7 days post-ischaemia. Th us different sensorimotor tasks have different rates of recovery after foca l cerebral ischaemia in the rat. Further characterisation of these tasks wi ll enhance their utility meaningful preclinical means of assessing function al recovery of the administration of potential neuroprotective and regenera tive therapies. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.