Modification to the Rice-Vannucci perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy model in the P7 rat improves the reliability of cerebral infarct development after 48hours.

Background: The Rice-Vannucci model of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) has been associated with a high degree of variability with respect to the development of cerebral infarction and infarct lesion volume. For this reason, we examined the occurrence of communicational blood flow within the common carotid (CCA), internal (ICA), and external (ECA) carotid arteries following CCA occlusion as a source of variability in the model.

New Method: We propose a novel modification to the Rice-Vannucci model, whereby both the CCA and ECA are permanently ligated; mitigating communicational blood flow.

Optimizing Deep Brain Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens in a Reward Preference Rat Model.

Objective/hypothesis: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become the preferred therapy for a growing number of treatment-resistant neuropsychiatric conditions, offering the benefit of being amenable to fine-tuning to enhance its efficacy. However, while some DBS parameters are routinely adjusted, the stimulation is almost always delivered in a continuous "tonic" pattern, which may be suboptimal at times. Our overall aim is to investigate the application of differing levels of rewarding DBS to the reconditioning of behavioral "trigger" and "non-trigger" stimuli in impulse-control disorders (including addiction).

FAST-Mag protocol with or without mild hypothermia (35°C) does not improve outcome after permanent MCAO in rats.

The current study assessed the neuroprotective efficacy of magnesium using a FAST-Mag trial treatment protocol alone, and in combination with mild hypothermia, in Sprague Dawley rats subjected to permanent, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Treatment with magnesium (MgSO4.7H2O) consisted of an intravenous loading dose (LD: 360 μmol/kg) and a 24 hour infusion (120 μmol/kg/h), while mild hypothermia at 35°C was maintained for 24 hours.

Short-term low intensity PMF does not improve functional or histological outcomes in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia.

Stimulation with pulsed magnetic fields (PMF) is a non-invasive technique that can modulate neural activity and has the potential to facilitate functional recovery and tissue preservation/repair following brain injury. The effect of low intensity (8 mT) PMF on functional recovery and infarct tissue volume was assessed in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model of transient focal ischemia in Spontaneously Hypertensive rats. Rats received a combination of PMF protocols, including high and low frequencies and recovery was monitored over eight days.