Physiological Assessment in Stroke Research - Animal Models of Acute Neurological Injuries: Injury and Mechanistic Assessments - page 68

Chapter 5
Physiological Assessment in Stroke Research
Casey Lee Hall , Osama Mohamad , Shan Ping Yu , and Ling Wei
Abstract
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the number one cause of disability in the adult population in
the USA. With an average of one victim every 40 s, almost 795,000 individuals experience a stroke every
year. Over the past 30 years, substantial progress has been made in stroke prevention, diagnosis, and
therapy. Research on experimental animal models of stroke has shed light on the cellular and molecular
mechanisms of brain damage and repair and has revealed numerous potential therapeutic targets. However,
many drugs that show signifi cant neuroprotection in animal models fail clinical trials in humans. Thus, it
is absolutely necessary to bridge the gap between animal models and the human condition in stroke and
to robustly evaluate neuroprotective agents at the preclinical stage to reduce the risk of failure in clinical
trials. An important factor that usually goes unchecked in animal studies is the control of physiological
parameters and vital signs. In basic and translational stroke research, appropriate collection and analysis of
physiological data are key components for controlling factors that can impact infarct volume and the cel-
lular response to stroke. This chapter focuses on those common physiological techniques used in both
basic science studies and in the clinical care of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. This chapter covers tech-
niques of blood pressure and heart rate measurement, temperature monitoring, cerebral blood fl ow, and a
collection of basic laboratory studies.
Key words: Stroke, Ischemia, Cerebral blood fl ow, Glucose metabolism, Autoradiography, Brain
imaging
1. Introduction
Stroke continues to be a leading cause of death and disability in
developed countries and, increasingly, in developing countries as
well. According to the World Health Organization, stroke affl icts
over 15 million people worldwide every year, with 50% suffering
death or permanent disability ( 1 ). In the USA alone, almost
795,000 individuals experience a stroke every year. Even with an
estimated cost of >70 billion dollars in 2010 ( 2 ), stroke therapy is
still very limited. Furthermore, the incidence of stroke is increasing
as the population ages ( 3 ). Over the past 30 years, substantial