Journal of neuroscience methods
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Mar 2017
A standardized method to measure brain shifts with decompressive hemicraniectomy.
A standardized, reliable, and practical method for measuring decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) defects and brain shifts in malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory infarction is needed for reliable comparisons between computed tomography (CT) scans. Such a method could facilitate further studies on the effects of DHC. ⋯ A practical method for measuring DHC size and brain shifts designed to be consistent between scans is proposed. This method should facilitate comparisons of measurements between serial scans, between patients, and perhaps between studies. This method could be useful in medical and surgical studies of brain herniations in malignant MCA territory infarction, and possibly other conditions.
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Mar 2017
Development of a simple, rapid, and robust intrathecal catheterization method in the rat.
The blood brain barrier (BBB) is an impediment to the development of large and highly charged molecules as therapeutics for diseases and injuries of the central nervous system (CNS). Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are large (6000-8000MW) and highly charged and therefore do not cross the BBB. A method of circumventing the blood brain barrier to test ASOs, and other non-BBB penetrant molecules, as CNS therapeutics is the direct administration of these molecules to the CNS tissue or cerebral spinal fluid. ⋯ This method is easy to learn and has been taught to multiple in house surgeons, collaborators and contract laboratories. Greater than 90% catheterization success is routinely achieved with this method and as many as 100 catheters can be placed and test substance administered in one 6-h period. This method has allowed the pre-clinical testing of hundreds of ASOs as therapeutics for CNS indications.