Models of Rodent Cortical Traumatic Brain Injury

The absence of a pharmacological therapy that is effective in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) highlights the need for further research into the secondary mechanisms that are initiated by the traumatic event, and which determine eventual neurological outcome. Various animal models of TBI exist, with each attempting to replicate different aspects of human brain injury. If an effective pharmacological therapy is to be developed and accepted by the neurotrauma community, it is critical that there is consistency across various laboratories in how these models are applied. The present review critically analyses the benefits and pitfalls of the common rodent models of TBI that are widely used today.