experimental set up to create a rat model of mild traumatic brain injury (mtbi)

Validating Injury Response and Behavioral Assessments in an mTBI Rat Model

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, is the most prevalent type of injury and can lead to various short-term and chronic symptoms1. These symptoms may include dizziness, headaches, depression, and anhedonia, among others, leading to significant suffering for individuals affected by mTBI2. Since most mTBIs are caused by blunt force trauma3, it becomes imperative to develop animal models that accurately mimic such injuries. These models are essential for gaining a better understanding of the injury and its underlying mechanisms, offering a controlled environment with reduced variability and heterogeneity compared to human studies.
Numerous well-established rodent models have been developed for traumatic brain injury (TBI), including fluid percussion injury (FPI)4, controlled cortical impact (CCI)5, weight-drop injury6, blast traumatic brain injury7, and others. However, these models primarily focus on replicating moderate to severe TBI scenarios. In contrast, the experimental models specifically designed to simulate mTBI have received relatively less attention and remain underexplored8. Therefore, there is a critical need to establish a stable and reproducible animal model that accurately represents mTBI. Such a model would significantly enhance our understanding of the neurobiological and behavioral consequences associated with mTBI.
One cannot distinguish the functional deficits in mTBI rats compared to normal rats via casual observation after the effects of anesthesia have worn off. Therefore, it is necessary to administer specific tests. In humans, a wide range of clinical assessments are used to evaluate patients9,10,11. Similarly, establishing a successful model in the rat model also requires using rapid assessment tools to determine its validity.
In this study, we present a closed-head mTBI rat model, enabling the investigation of mTBI in a manner that closely resembles the human condition. The detailed description of the model and its validation procedure provides a comprehensive understanding of the experimental approach utilized in studying mTBI.

Author Spotlight: Advancing Traumatic Brain Injury Research - A Closed-Head Model for Accurate Replication and Rapid Assessment 

Rat Model of Closed-Head Mild Traumatic Injury and its Validation

In this study, we introduced a closed-head, mild traumatic brain injury rat model, and provided a comprehensive overview of its validation. Our goal was to offer a straightforward approach for replicating this type of brain injury and a rapid assessment method for confirming the success of the model. This model successfully simulates a closed-head, mild traumatic brain injury without the need for scalp incision or skull opening, provide a more accurate representation of the impact scenario observed in human cases.The avoidance of scalp incision helps to prevent inflammatory responses that may not align with the active situation. Mild traumatic brain injury lacks subjective and accurate diagnostic methods. In the future, our laboratory will continue to explore possible biomolecular markers and their deep molecular mechanisms, and help to transform the obtained molecular markers into clinical and forensic identification practices.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Experimental Set Up to Create a Rat Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury MTBI at JoVE.com

Experimental Set Up to Create a Rat Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI)  

Experimental Set Up to Create a Rat Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)

To begin, place a 12-centimeter thick sponge with a 35D hardness in an acrylic box, lacking a top cover. Then, cut a sheet of tinfoil and adhere it to the acrylic box with adhesive tape to create a fragile surface capable of supporting the weight of a rat. Also, mark a 10-centimeter long line as the designated location for positioning the rat's head.Using an iron stand, firmly secure a polyvinyl chloride or PVC tube in place. Prepare a perforated weight weighing 550 grams with an 18-millimeter diameter. Attach the weight to a fishing line at a height of one meter inside the PVC tube and adjust the position of the guide tube three centimeters above the tin foil.Next, make a helmet from a stainless steel disc. Prepare a wedge-shaped sponge pillow to place under the rat's head. Swiftly position the anesthetized rat on its chest in the tinfoil.Slide the pillow beneath the rat, ensuring its head remains parallel to the foil surface. Align the helmet with the rat's ears, and securely fasten it in place. Confirm that the PVC pipe is directly above the helmet.Then, release the weight and allow it to impact the rat's head resulting in a fall onto the sponge and a 180 degree rotation. Afterwards, position the rat on its back inside a clean cage.

experimental-set-up-to-create-rat-model-mild-traumatic-brain-injury

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

171 Views.  School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University. To begin, place a 12-centimeter thick sponge with a 35D hardness in an acrylic box, lacking a top cover. Then, cut a sheet of tinfoil and adhere it to the acrylic box with adhesive tape to create a fragile surface capable of supporting the weight of a rat. Also, mark a 10-centimeter long line as the designated location for positioning the rat's head.Using an iron stand, firmly secure a polyvinyl chloride or PVC tube in place. Prepare a perforated weight weighing 550 grams with an 18-mi...

Video: Experimental Set Up to Create a Rat Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI)  

Animal models are crucial for advancing our understanding of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and guiding clinical research. To achieve meaningful insights, developing a stable and reproducible animal model is essential. In this study, we report a detailed description of a closed-head mTBI model and a representative validation method using Sprague-Dawley rats to verify the modeling effect. The model involves dropping a 550 g mass weight from a height of 100 cm directly onto the head of a rat on a destructible surface, followed by a 180-degree turn. To assess the injury, rats underwent a series of neurobehavioral assessments 10 min post-injury, including time of loss of consciousness, first seeking-behavior time, escape ability, and beam balance ability test. During the acute and subacute stages following the injury, behavioral tests were conducted to assess motor coordination ability (Beam task), anxiety (Open Field test), and learning and memory abilities (Morris Water Maze test). The closed-head mTBI model produced a consistent injury response with minimal mortality and replicated real-life situations. The validation method effectively verified the model development and ensured the stability and consistency of the model.

Here, we present a closed-head mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) rat model and its validation exhibiting remarkable similarity to human mTBI concerning behavioral manifestations during the acute and subacute stages.

Animal models are crucial for advancing our understanding of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and guiding clinical research. To achieve meaningful ...

Acute Neurobehavioral Assessments of the Closed-Head Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) Rat Model

Acute Neurobehavioral Assessments of the Closed-Head Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) Rat Model  

After inducing a mild traumatic brain injury in an anesthetized rat, position it on its back inside a clean cage. Record the duration from when the rat is anesthetized to when it regains the righting reflex. Also record the time it takes for the rat to exhibit its first seeking behavior from the moment of anesthesia.Next place the rat in the center of a circular apparatus with an exit. Measure and record the time it takes for the rat to exit the circle. Then place the rat successively on three beams of varying length each for a duration of one minute.Score the rat on a scale of zero to six, depending on their performance on the beam. mTBI rats exhibited a significantly prolonged recovery from unconsciousness. The seeking behavior increased significantly in the mTBI group during the recovery period.Also, the mTBI rats took longer to exit the circle compared to sham rats. The beam balance test showed a significant injury effect in wide beam tasks indicating balance impairment in mTBI rats 10 minutes post impact. The 2 and 1.5 centimeter wide beams effectively differentiated between sham and mTBI groups in three independent experiments.

Neurobehavior Assessment of the Closed-Head Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) Rat Model

Neurobehavior Assessment of the Closed-Head Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) Rat Model  

After inducing a mild traumatic brain injury in an anesthetized rat, position it on its back inside a clean cage. Place foam padding beneath the balance beam to reduce the risk of injury to the rats in case of falls during the test. Place an escape box at one end of the beam.Activate the video camera to record the test. Once the animal recovers, position the rats at the other end of the balance beam. Position the rats on the two centimeter wide beam for a series of five consecutive trials.Record the initiation and conclusion of each trial when the rat's nose crosses the starting and finishing lines respectively. Prepare the open field arena, ensuring it is clean and devoid of any prior odor cues. Divide the arena into three distinct zones:a central inner zone, a middle zone, and an outer zone.Place a rat in the center of the open field arena and initiate the timer. Allow the rat to freely explore the arena for a duration of five minutes. After this period, carefully and gently return the rat to its home cage.Quantify the total distance covered by the rat during the five-minute exploration period. Additionally, determine the amount of time the rat spends in the three zones. Ensure that the water maze apparatus is in proper working condition.Place the platform at a depth of 2.5 centimeters below the water surface. Dye the water black and position cues in the four cardinal directions. Establish a monitoring system to record and observe the behavior of the rats.Then introduce the rat into the water maze. If the rat is unable to reach the platform within a two-minute timeframe, gently guide it using a wooden stick. Allow the rat to become accustomed to the maze environment while standing on the platform for a duration of 20 seconds, then remove it.On the sixth day, which is the probe test day, remove the platform from the water maze and position the rat in the same quadrant for a duration of two minutes. Employ the monitoring system to continuously observe and record the rat's behavior. Motor coordination was assessed pre and post-anesthesia or injury using the beam task.At day one post-injury, mTBI rats showed significantly more hindlimb slips compared to shams. However, after two days, hindlimb slips returned to sham levels. All six mTBI rats had more post-impact hindlimb slips with no differences in beam traversal times between mTBI and sham rats.Distance traveled showed no significant differences between sham and mTBI groups. Anxiety-like behavior was evident in mTBI rats at three and seven days post-injury, spending less time in the center zone during the open field test. Morris water maze results indicated impaired spatial learning and memory in mTBI rats.They took longer to find the hidden platform and spent less time searching for the removed platform during the probe trial without differences in swimming speed suggesting no impact on spontaneous locomotor function.