Bresnahan J C, Beattie M S, Todd F D, Noyes D H
Exp Neurol. 1987 Mar;95(3):548-70. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(87)90299-8.
In order to provide a reproducible experimental spinal cord injury with immediate feedback on the mechanical properties of the impact, we have developed an electro-mechanically driven, feedback-controlled impaction device. The device is sensitive to the characteristics of the injured tissue and allows continuous manipulation of impact force or tissue displacement. The current study describes the anatomical and behavioral outcomes of a range of impacts and examines the ability of the device to produce a consistent traumatic injury. Rats were subjected to spinal cord trauma at the midthoracic level. Group II received a wide range of impacts that were preset at a desired force level and group III received impacts preset for a constant displacement of the spinal cord surface. Group I served as laminectomy controls. Behavioral testing included assessments of general and fine locomotor skills (open field and grid walking) and postural adjustment to displacement (inclined plane). Lesion volumes and percentage area of the cord occupied by the lesion were assessed postmortem. For group II, significant correlations between the physical descriptors of the impact and the behavioral measures were observed early during the postoperative period for open field and inclined plane performance and later in the recovery period for grid walking. Lesion measures correlated significantly with impact descriptors and with behavioral measures as well. Group III showed consistent behavioral deficits which partially recovered in the postoperative interval. The behavioral results correlated well with the lesion measures for this group also. The results indicate that it is possible to produce an intermediate lesion in the rat which results in consistent recovery with a residual deficit 3 weeks postoperatively, using a device that allows for immediate assessment of the physical descriptors of impact trauma.
为了提供一种可重复的实验性脊髓损伤，并能即时反馈撞击的力学特性，我们开发了一种机电驱动、反馈控制的撞击装置。该装置对受损组织的特征敏感，能够持续控制撞击力或组织位移。本研究描述了一系列撞击后的解剖学和行为学结果，并检验了该装置产生一致创伤性损伤的能力。将大鼠在胸段中部进行脊髓损伤。第二组接受一系列预设在所需力水平的撞击，第三组接受预设为脊髓表面恒定位移的撞击。第一组作为椎板切除术对照。行为测试包括对一般和精细运动技能（旷场和网格行走）以及对位移的姿势调整（斜面）的评估。在死后评估损伤体积和损伤占据脊髓的面积百分比。对于第二组，在术后早期，旷场和斜面表现方面，撞击的物理描述符与行为指标之间存在显著相关性；在恢复期后期，网格行走方面也存在显著相关性。损伤测量结果与撞击描述符以及行为指标也显著相关。第三组表现出一致的行为缺陷，在术后期间部分恢复。该组的行为结果与损伤测量结果也有很好的相关性。结果表明，使用一种能够即时评估撞击创伤物理描述符的装置，有可能在大鼠中产生中度损伤，导致术后3周出现一致的恢复且伴有残余缺陷。
