Rat Models of Central Nervous System Injury

Abstract The central nervous system (CNS) plays a pivotal role in virtually all mammalian functions, including cognitive behavior, motility, perception, and homeostasis/regulation. Trauma to the CNS can therefore have devastating consequences due to the disruption of complex neural circuitry underlying these critical functions, which is compounded by the limited regenerative capacity of the brain and spinal cord. Rat models of both spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury are described in this chapter. Induction of specific models and selected outcome measures are reviewed. Benefits of using rat models, potential confounding factors on animal experiments, and complications for interpretation of data obtained from these experiments are highlighted.