Severity assessment and scoring for neurosurgical models in rodents. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pinkernell, Sarah; Becker, Katrin; Lindauer, Ute
• Other Names: Golledge H guest-editor.; Jirkof P guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Laboratory animals. Volume 50:Number 6(2016)
• Page Start: 442
• Page End: 452
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: pain -- rodent -- severity -- subarachnoid hemorrhage -- traumatic brain injury; Animal experimentation -- Periodicals; Animal models in research -- Periodicals; Laboratory animals -- Periodicals; Animal welfare -- Periodicals; 636.0885
• DOI: 10.1177/0023677216675010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0023-6772

Abstract

The most important acute neurological diseases seen at neurosurgery departments are traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH). In both diseases the pathophysiological sequela are complex and have not been fully understood up to now, and rodent models using rats and mice are most suitable for the investigation of the pathophysiological details. In both models, surgery is performed under anesthesia, followed by assessment of their functional outcome and behavioral testing before brain tissue analysis after euthanasia. Postoperative analgesia is mandatory, and supplementary care is highly recommended for refinement purposes. Pain and stress assessment is mainly based on clinical and behavioral signs, and further research is needed to improve the evaluation of severity in these models.