A Modified Transcranial Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model to Study Stroke Outcomes in Aged Mice

Stroke affects nearly 800, 000 people annually in the US.Around 87%of this, ischemic, presenting as a severe medical condition. However, there are limited treatment options available especially during the chronic stroke phase. Our research aims to develop a recovery enhancing therapy to reduce disability and improve the quality of life for stroke patients.

They widely use the filament, the middle cerebral artery occlusion model, as a drawback where the inserted filament can block a blood flow to the posterior cerebral artery. The C57BL/6 in mice often have an undisturbed posterior communicating artery leading to a high mortality in the later chronic stroke recovery phase. Our modified transcranial middle cerebral artery occlusion model partially across the MCA at the trunk generating brain damage in the cortex and the striatum via a small cranial window.

This model achieves a high long-term survival rate, detectable neurological deficits, and works well even in aged mice. Our transcranial MCAO model can incorporate the critical attributes of clinical stroke, such as delayed reperfusion, neurological deficits, and aging factor. This model can be used to evaluate the therapeutical potential of new stroke treatments on long-term function recovery.