Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate and characterize long‐term post‐ischemic stroke hemispheric and cellular loss, and fiber track injury. Also to investigate the sensory, motor and cognitive performance deficits for use in future restoration research.MethodsMiddle cerebral artery occlusion (stroke) or sham surgery was performed in male Sprague‐Dawley rats. Neurobehavioral (sensory, motor, beam balance, reflexes, hindlimb and forelimb function, and cylinder placement tests) and cognitive (complex active place avoidance; APA and simple passive avoidance retention; PA tests) performance was measured. Electroretinograms (ERG), ischemic hemisphere, hippocampus neuronal loss and fiber track injury were measured.ResultsStroke surgery produced significant (p<0.01) sustained (10 weeks) deficits in motor, sensory, beam balance and hindlimb performance. Stroke produced large and prolonged cognitive performance deficits in APA learning (p<0.01) but smaller effects on PA retention. No effects on ERG or hippocampus neurons occurred but fiber tracts in the external capsule and striatum exhibited significant (p<0.01) damage.ConclusionSpecific, long‐term deficits in neurobehavioral tests were verified as endpoints for stroke restorative therapeutic research. Fiber track injury contributes to these deficits and is especially important for the complex cognitive control required for APA learning.
Published Version
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