Ischaemic brain damage in the gerbil in the absence of 'no-reflow'.

Approximately 40% of gerbils subjected to one hour of unilateral carotid artery occlusion displayed neurological abnormalities during that time. Most such animals were subsequently found to have ischaemic neuronal alterations within the territory of the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery. In contrast, impaired reperfusion ('no-reflow') rarely occurred and cannot therefore be implicated in the pathogenesis of ischaemic brain damage.