Experimental neurology
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Experimental neurology · Jan 1989
Correlative analyses of lesion development and functional status after graded spinal cord contusive injuries in the rat.
The development of both histopathological changes and functional deficits was quantitatively assessed after mild, moderate, and severe spinal cord contusive injuries. The cross-sectional area of the spinal cord at the epicenter (region of maximal damage) and the areas of hemorrhage, lesion, and remaining gray and white matter were determined from 15 min to 8 weeks after injury. From 24 h to 8 weeks after injury, functional deficits were quantified using a combined behavioral score (CBS) based on the results from a number of behavioral tests of function. ⋯ The development of stable functional deficits was observed beginning at 3 weeks after injury. There was a significant correlation between residual white matter and the degree of initial injury at 24 h after injury and all subsequent time points. However, a significant correlation between residual white matter and functional deficit, as measured by the CBS, was not observed at 24 h or 1 week but did develop by 4 weeks after injury.