Functional Assessment of Subcortical Ischemia

The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is the most common rodent model to mimic large vessel occlusion in the human. The intraluminal filament MCAO technique should, theoretically, produce ischemia both in the cortex and striatum. However, collateral blood flow can contribute to maintenance of cerebral perfusion in the cortex at thresholds that sustain tissue viability. This means some animals may exhibit lesions only in the subcortical structures, particularly the posterior striatum, which may be desirable for certain experimental purposes. This chapter aims to describe, in detail, the steps and equipment required to perform the intraluminal filament model of MCAO in the rat. We also discuss relevant tips and tricks to identify rats with subcortical damage. In addition to a general discussion regarding basic requirements for behavioural experiments in rats with this type of injury, we provide a stepwise guide for using several sensitive behavioural tests.