Cortical contusion induces trans-hemispheric reorganization of blood flow maps.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF), a surrogate of neural activity in the identification of brain regions involved in specific functions, has been used in this report to trace the compensatory enhancement of activity in non-traumatized areas of the brain following a focal lesion. We have previously shown activation of CBF in the cortex contralateral to a focal contusion, 24 h after the event. The present report extends the characterization of this trans-hemispheric cortical blood flow activation by studying its time course and regional distribution from 4 days to 4 weeks post-trauma. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received a cortical impact through a 6.3 mm craniotomy under halothane anesthesia. CBF was measured with the quantitative autoradiographic (14)C-Iodoantipyrine technique, in conscious animals, 4 days, 2 weeks and 4 weeks post-trauma. CBF was severely decreased at the site of impact where necrosis developed later, and it remained depressed in the surrounding areas throughout the observation period. Trans-hemispheric CBF enhancement was maximal at 4 days and it returned to control levels 28 days post-trauma. This phenomenon was present in all cortical regions symmetrical to the impact zone, but also in auditory, visual, entorhinal and insular cortex. These results suggest that the participation of the contralateral cortex in the recovery from unilateral brain trauma is not limited to the regions homologous to those that received the impact. The time course of CBF changes was found to be consistent with the recovery of motor function in this model.