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Photothrombotic Ischemia: A Minimally Invasive and Reproducible Photochemical Cortical Lesion Model for Mouse Stroke Studies
Published on: June 9, 2013
Photothrombotic infarct impairs experience-dependent plasticity in neighboring cortex
Jan A Jablonka1, Otto W Witte, Małgorzata Kossut
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Neuroreport
|February 16, 2007
Summary
Stroke impairs the brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Stroke Research
- Plasticity
Background:
- Spontaneous restorative plasticity is common after stroke.
- The perinfarct cortex environment's role in plasticity is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate experience-dependent plasticity in the perinfarct cortex after stroke.
- To determine if perinfarct cortex conditions facilitate or impair plastic changes.
Main Methods:
- Focal photothrombotic stroke was induced in rats.
- Whiskers were trimmed to induce plasticity, sparing one row.
- Cortical activation was visualized using [C]2-deoxyglucose.
Main Results:
- Control rats showed significant enlargement of the spared whisker representation.
- Rats with stroke posterior to barrel cortex showed no plastic change.
- Use-dependent plasticity was impaired in the perinfarct cortex.
Conclusions:
- Early after stroke, the perinfarct cortex exhibits impaired use-dependent plasticity.
- Conditions in the perinfarct cortex may hinder restorative plasticity.
- Further research is needed to understand stroke-induced plasticity deficits.
