Assessment of behavioral flexibility after middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice

作者：Linden Jerome^*; Fassotte Ludivine; Tirelli Ezio; Plumier Jean Christophe; Ferrara Andre

来源：Behavioural Brain Research, 2014, 258: 127-137.

DOI：10.1016/j.bbr.2013.10.028

• MCAO
• Functional assessment
• Operant conditioning
• Behavioral flexibility
• Cerebral ischemia
• Mouse

Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is the most common animal model of cerebral ischemia and induces various functional impairments. Long-lasting deficits resulting from MCAO however, remain insufficiently characterized, especially regarding cognition. Yet, behavioral flexibility, a prominent cognitive process is found impaired after stroke in humans. We thus used an operant-based task to assess behavioral flexibility in mice after MCAO. Three weeks after 30 min MCAO surgery, mice were subjected to a battery of sensorimotor tests (rotarod, vertical pole test, spontaneous locomotion and grip-strength test). Behavioral flexibility was then assessed in an operant task, in which mice, rewarded according to a FR5 schedule of reinforcement, had to alternate their operant responses between two levers from trial to trial. Regarding sensory and motor functioning, only the pole test yielded a significant difference between MCAO and sham mice. In the operant flexibility task, results showed a behavioral flexibility deficit in MCAO mice; neither the operant response acquisition nor the appeal for food rewards was altered. In conclusion, our operant-based task revealed a long-lasting behavioral flexibility deficit after MCAO in mice.

• 出版日期2014-1-1