This project was funded by the National Stroke Foundation, Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&amp;MRC), Australia. Special thanks to the Faculty of Health Workshop staff at The University of Newcastle for their technical expertise.

1. Skull Penetration
<ol>
	<li>Anaesthetize rat with isoflurane (5% induction, 1.5-2% maintenance) in 70% N2 and 30% O2. Following induction of anaesthesia, place the rat prone on a warming plate, positioning the rat's nose in an anaesthetic nose cone.</li>
	<li>Whilst maintaining anaesthesia, secure the head in a stereotaxic frame, inserting the ear-bars until head is stabilised. Ensure breathing is not impaired. (Figure 2-A).</li>
	<li>Inject scalp subcutaneously with long lasti...

<ol>
	<li>Ng, L. K., Nimmannitya, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Massive+cerebral+infarction+with+severe+brain+swelling:+a+clinicopathological+study.">Massive cerebral infarction with severe brain swelling: a clinicopathological study.</a> Stroke. 1, 158-163 (1970).</li><li>Plum, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Brain+swelling+and+edema+in+cerebral+vascular+disease.">Brain swelling and edema in cerebral vascular disease.</a> Res. Publ. Assoc. Res. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 41, 318-348 (1966).</li><li>Ropper, A. H., Shafran, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Brain+edema+after+stroke.+Clinical+syndrome+and+intracranial+pressure.">Brain edema after stroke. Clinical syndrome and intracranial pressure.</a> Arch. Neurol. 41, 26-29 (1984).</li><li>Silver, F. L., Norris, J. W., Lewis, A. J., Hachinski, V. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Early+mortality+following+stroke:+a+prospective+review.">Early mortality following stroke: a prospective review.</a> Stroke. 15, 492-496 (1984).</li><li>Geraci, E. B., Geraci, T. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hyperventilation+and+head+injury:+controversies+and+concerns.">Hyperventilation and head injury: controversies and concerns.</a> J. Neurosci. 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P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Guidelines+for+the+early+management+of+patients+with+ischemic+stroke:+A+scientific+statement+from+the+Stroke+Council+of+the+American+Stroke+Association.">Guidelines for the early management of patients with ischemic stroke: A scientific statement from the Stroke Council of the American Stroke Association.</a> Stroke. 34, 1056-1083 (2003).</li><li>Zhong, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Advances+in+ICP+monitoring+techniques.">Advances in ICP monitoring techniques.</a> Neurol. Res. 25, 339-350 (2003).</li><li>Aucoin, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intracranial+pressure+monitors.+Epidemiologic+study+of+risk+factors+and+infections.">Intracranial pressure monitors. Epidemiologic study of risk factors and infections.</a> Am. J. Med. 80, 369-376 (1986).</li><li>Silasi, G., MacLellan, C. L., Colbourne, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Use+of+telemetry+blood+pressure+transmitters+to+measure+intracranial+pressure+(ICP)+in+freely+moving+rats.">Use of telemetry blood pressure transmitters to measure intracranial pressure (ICP) in freely moving rats.</a> Curr. Neurovasc. Res. 6, 62-69 (2009).</li><li>Crutchfield, J. S., Narayan, R. K., Robertson, C. S., Michael, L. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evaluation+of+a+fiberoptic+intracranial+pressure+monitor.">Evaluation of a fiberoptic intracranial pressure monitor.</a> J. Neurosurg. 72, 482-487 (1990).</li><li>Bolander, R., Mathie, B., Bir, C., Ritzel, D., Vandevord, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Skull+Flexure+as+a+Contributing+Factor+in+the+Mechanism+of+Injury+in+the+Rat+when+Exposed+to+a+Shock+Wave.">Skull Flexure as a Contributing Factor in the Mechanism of Injury in the Rat when Exposed to a Shock Wave.</a> Ann. Biomed. Eng. , (2011).</li><li>Chavko, M., Koller, W. A., Prusaczyk, W. K., McCarron, R. 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The procedure presented here enables a very sensitive and accurate recording of intracranial pressure. This minimally invasive technique avoids significant brain trauma by positioning the pressure sensor in the epidural space and not the brain tissue or ventricles. 
The critical steps Include: 1) drilling through the skull &#x2013; care must be taken not to pierce the dura or damage underlying brain tissue; 2) ensuring a tight seal with the caulking material &#x2013; if there is any leak, the...

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epidural intracranial pressure measurement in rats using a fiber-optic pressure transducer

Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is a significant problem in several forms of ischemic brain injury including stroke, traumatic brain injury and cardiac arrest. This elevation may result in further neurological injury, in the form of transtentorial herniation1,2,3,4, midbrain compression, neurological deficit or increased cerebral infarct2,4. Current therapies are often inadequate to control elevated ICP in the clinical setting5,6,7 . Thus there is a need for accurate methods of ICP measurement in animal models to further our understanding of the basic mechanisms and to develop new treatments for elevated ICP.
In both the clinical and experimental setting ICP cannot be estimated without direct measurement. Several methods of ICP catheter insertion currently exist. Of these the intraventricular catheter has become the clinical 'gold standard' of ICP measurement in humans8. This method involves the partial removal of skull and the instrumentation of the catheter through brain tissue. Consequently, intraventricular catheters have an infection rate of 6-11%9. For this reason, subdural and epidural cannulations have become the preferred methods in animal models of ischemic injury. 
Various ICP measurement techniques have been adapted for animal models, and of these, fluid-filled telemetry catheters10 and solid state catheters are the most frequently used11,12,13,14,15. The fluid-filled systems are prone to developing air bubbles in the line, resulting in false ICP readings. Solid state probes avoid this problem (Figure 1). An additional problem is fitting catheters under the skull or into the ventricles without causing any brain injury that might alter the experimental outcomes. Therefore, we have developed a method that places an ICP catheter contiguous with the epidural space, but avoids the need to insert it between skull and brain. 
An optic fibre pressure catheter (420LP, SAMBA Sensors, Sweden) was used to measure ICP at the epidural location because the location of the pressure sensor (at the very tip of the catheter) was found to produce a high fidelity ICP signal in this model. There are other manufacturers of similar optic fibre technologies13 that may be used with our methodology. Alternative solid state catheters, which have the pressure sensor located at the side of the catheter tip, would not be appropriate for this model as the signal would be dampened by the presence of the monitoring screw. 
Here, we present a relatively simple and accurate method to measure ICP. This method can be used across a wide range of ICP related animal models.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Epidural Intracranial Pressure Measurement in Rats Using a Fiber-optic Pressure Transducer at JoVE.com

Epidural Intracranial Pressure Measurement in Rats Using a Fiber-optic Pressure Transducer

A novel technique to record the pressures within the skull is described. The minimally invasive method uses a fibre-optic pressure sensing system to accurately measure intracranial pressure (ICP) in anaesthetized rats without causing significant brain trauma. The technique may be used in a wide range of experimental models.

Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is a significant problem in several forms of ischemic brain injury including stroke, traumatic brain injury and ...

epidural-intracranial-pressure-measurement-rats-using-fiber-optic

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Medicine

20.7K Views.  The University of Newcastle. Una nuova tecnica per registrare le pressioni all'interno del cranio è descritto. Il metodo minimamente invasivo utilizza una fibra ottica sistema di rilevamento della pressione per misurare accuratamente la pressione endocranica (ICP) in ratti anestetizzati senza causare traumi significativi cervello. La tecnica può essere utilizzata in un'ampia gamma di modelli sperimentali.