Abstract
The modified adhesive removal (sticky-tape) test is an assessment of somatosensory dysfunction following cerebral ischemia in rats. This test is less time consuming than the original protocol by virtue of requiring minimal pre-training. We present a detailed protocol describing how to conduct the modified adhesive removal (sticky-tape) test. Following right middle cerebral artery occlusion (rMCAo) using an intraluminal filament, animals undergo the modified sticky-tape test (MST) on post-operative days 1, 3, 7 and 10. For the test, a non-removable tape sleeve is placed around the animal's paw and the time to remove the stimulus is measured. The time spent attending to this stimulus is also recorded. Animals undergoing MST for the first time demonstrate nearly-uniform excellent performance. However, following rMCAo, the ratio of left to right performance on the MST is significantly different at all time points. In short, the MST accurately assesses neurological dysfunction in rodents, not only with minimal pre-training, but also with accurate localization to the side of injury.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gladstone, D.J., Black, S.E. & Hakim, A.M. Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario Centre of Excellence in Stroke, Recovery Toward wisdom from failure: lessons from neuroprotective stroke trials and new therapeutic directions. Stroke 33, 2123–2136 (2002).
Fisher, M. Recommendations for standards regarding preclinical neuroprotective and restorative drug development. Stroke 30, 2752–2758 (1999).
Tong, D. et al. Correlation of perfusion- and diffusion-weighted MRI with NIHSS score in acute (<6.5 h) ischemic stroke. Neurology 50, 864–870 (1998).
Corbett, D. & Nurse, S. The problem of assessing effective neuroprotection in experimental cerebral ischemia. Prog. Neurobiol. 54, 531–548 (1998).
Zhang, L., Chen, J., Li, Y., Zhang, Z.G. & Chopp, M. Quantitative measurement of motor and somatosensory impairments after mild (30 min) and severe (2 h) transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. J. Neurol. Sci. 174, 141–146 (2000).
Hernandez, T.D. & Schallert, T. Seizures and recovery from experimental brain damage*1. Exp. Neurol. 102, 318–324 (1988).
Zhang, L. et al. A test for detecting long-term sensorimotor dysfunction in the mouse after focal cerebral ischemia. J. Neurosci. Methods 117, 207–214 (2002).
Stroemer, R.P., Kent, T.A., Hulsebosch, C.E. & Feeney, D.M. Enhanced neocortical neural sprouting, synaptogenesis, and behavioral recovery with D-amphetamine therapy after neocortical infarction in rats Editorial comment. Stroke 29, 2381–2395 (1998).
Aronowski, J., Samways, E., Strong, R., Rhoades, H.M. & Grotta, J.C. An alternative method for the quantitation of neuronal damage after experimental middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats: analysis of behavioral deficit. J. Cerebr. Blood Flow Metab. 16, 705–713 (1996).
Schallert, T. & Whishaw, I.Q. Bilateral cutaneous stimulation of the somatosensory system in hemidecorticate rats. Behav. Neurosci. 98, 518–540 (1984).
Chen, J., Li, Y. & Chopp, M. Intracerebral transplantation of bone marrow with BDNF after MCAo in rat. Neuropharmacology 39, 711–716 (2000).
Zhang, R. et al. Activated neural stem cells contribute to stroke-induced neurogenesis and neuroblast migration toward the infarct boundary in adult rats. J. Cerebr. Blood Flow Metab. 24, 441–448 (2004).
Li, Y., Chen, J. & Chopp, M. Cell proliferation and differentiation from ependymal, subependymal and choroid plexus cells in response to stroke in rats. J. Neurol. Sci. 193, 137–146 (2002).
Schabitz, W.R. et al. Effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor treatment and forced arm use on functional motor recovery after small cortical ischemia. Stroke 35, 992–997 (2004).
Lu, D. et al. Intraarterial administration of marrow stromal cells in a rat model of traumatic brain injury. J. Neurotrauma 18, 813–819 (2001).
Li, Y. et al. Intracerebral transplantation of bone marrow stromal cells in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Neurosci. Lett. 316, 67–70 (2001).
Markgraf, C.G. et al. Sensorimotor and cognitive consequences of middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Brain Res. 575, 238–246 (1992).
Andersen, A.B., Finger, S., Andersen, C.S. & Hoagland, N. Sensorimotor cortical lesion effects and treatment with nimodipine. Physiol. Behav. 47, 1045–1052 (1990).
Andersen, C.S., Andersen, A.B. & Finger, S. Neurological correlates of unilateral and bilateral 'strokes' of the middle cerebral artery in the rat. Physiol. Behav. 50, 263–269 (1991).
Markgraf, C.G. et al. Recovery of sensorimotor function after distal middle cerebral artery photothrombotic occlusion in rats. Stroke 25, 153–159 (1994).
Schallert, T. et al. Tactile extinction: distinguishing between sensorimotor and motor asymmetries in rats with unilateral nigrostriatal damage. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 16, 455–462 (1982).
Sughrue, M.E. et al. An improved test of neurological dysfunction following transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. J. Neurosci. Methods 151, 83–89 (2006).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Komotar, R., Kim, G., Sughrue, M. et al. Neurologic assessment of somatosensory dysfunction following an experimental rodent model of cerebral ischemia. Nat Protoc 2, 2345–2347 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2007.359
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2007.359
This article is cited by
-
mGluR5 PAMs rescue cortical and behavioural defects in a mouse model of CDKL5 deficiency disorder
Neuropsychopharmacology (2023)
-
Multistrain Probiotics with Fructooligosaccharides Improve Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion–Driven Neurological Deficits by Revamping Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis
Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins (2023)
-
Partial blood replacement ameliorates middle cerebral artery occlusion generated neurological aberrations by intervening TLR4 and NLRP3 cascades in rats
Metabolic Brain Disease (2023)
-
Loss of Calretinin in L5a impairs the formation of the barrel cortex leading to abnormal whisker-mediated behaviors
Molecular Brain (2021)
-
Attenuation of the Induction of TLRs 2 and 4 Mitigates Inflammation and Promotes Neurological Recovery After Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Translational Stroke Research (2021)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.