Evaluation of neurobehavioral deficits following different severities of cerebral ischemia in rats: a comparison between the modified hole board test and the Morris water maze test.

Objective: While histological injury following cerebral ischemia has been extensively characterized in rodents, evidence on the effects on executive functioning is still missing. This study was designed to evaluate neuropsychological outcome following different severities of cerebral ischemia in rats with the modified hole board test or the Morris water maze.

Setting: With institutional review board approval, anesthetized rats were exposed to bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO) for escalating time intervals (0-12.