Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 21
Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Grading
in Animal Models
Robert Ayer, Takashi Sugawara, and John H. Zhang
Abstract
Several clinical grading systems of aneurysmal subarachnoid exist and play a critical role in predicting
outcome and grouping patients according to degree of injury to evaluate the effi cacy of both surgical and
medical interventions. Only one grading system is published for experimental aneurysmal subarachnoid
hemorrhage, and has yet to be widely adopted. Without the ability to quantify the degree of injury in
experimental groups, it is impossible to know the effects of intervention. The quantifi cation of subarach-
noid blood in experimental models will be most useful for the endovascular perforation model, which has
been criticized for the lack of control over bleeding. This chapter outlines the simple and objective SAH
grading system previously published by our group. This grading system was validated in Sprague Dawley
rats, but has the potential to be adapted to other aneurysmal SAH models.
Key words:
Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Experimental rodent model, Endovascular perforation, SAH
grading
1. Introduction
Rodent subarachnoid hemorrhage models are the most routinely
employed animal models for the study of aneurysmal subarachnoid
hemorrhage today, whether it be for early brain injury or vasos-
pasm. There are two broad categories of aneurysmal subarachnoid
models: endovascular perforation and cisternal injection of autolo-
gous blood. Endovascular perforation models most frequently
require endovascular access through the neck with subsequent
puncture of the Circle of Willis (
1, 2
). Autologous blood injection
models involve the collection of autologous blood from a periph-
eral site, and the subsequent injection of that blood into the
subarachnoid space through a small burr hole or craniotomy (
2
).
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