Develop, test, and validate a standardized, reproducible spinal cord injury model in animals that is characterized in terms of the evolution of behavioral (functional), electrophysiological, and morphological changes arising as a result of the lesion with the primary intent of testing new therapeutic modalities for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Demonstrate that such a model can be used for testing of new therapeutic approaches by utilizing it for evaluating medical therapies reputed to be useful in the treatment of spinal cord injury. In the first phase of the project, we propose to determine the optimal impact conditions to establish three levels of injury (corresponding to 10%, 50%, and 90% residual functional deficit) using a weight droping device (open impact injury) in the rat.

Project Start
1982-09-30
Project End
Budget Start
1985-12-30
Budget End
1986-12-29
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Georgetown University
Department
Type
School of Medicine & Dentistry
DUNS #
049515844
City
Washington
State
DC
Country
United States
Zip Code
20057
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Noble, L J; Wrathall, J R (1989) Correlative analyses of lesion development and functional status after graded spinal cord contusive injuries in the rat. Exp Neurol 103:34-40
Noble, L J; Wrathall, J R (1989) Distribution and time course of protein extravasation in the rat spinal cord after contusive injury. Brain Res 482:57-66
Raines, A; Dretchen, K L; Marx, K et al. (1988) Spinal cord contusion in the rat: somatosensory evoked potentials as a function of graded injury. J Neurotrauma 5:151-60
Noble, L J; Wrathall, J R (1988) Blood-spinal cord barrier disruption proximal to a spinal cord transection in the rat: time course and pathways associated with protein leakage. Exp Neurol 99:567-78
Noble, L J; Wrathall, J R (1987) An inexpensive apparatus for producing graded spinal cord contusive injury in the rat. Exp Neurol 95:530-3
Kerasidis, H; Wrathall, J R; Gale, K (1987) Behavioral assessment of functional deficit in rats with contusive spinal cord injury. J Neurosci Methods 20:167-79
Noble, L J; Wrathall, J R (1987) The blood-spinal cord barrier after injury: pattern of vascular events proximal and distal to a transection in the rat. Brain Res 424:177-88
Gale, K; Kerasidis, H; Wrathall, J R (1985) Spinal cord contusion in the rat: behavioral analysis of functional neurologic impairment. Exp Neurol 88:123-34
Wrathall, J R; Pettegrew, R K; Harvey, F (1985) Spinal cord contusion in the rat: production of graded, reproducible, injury groups. Exp Neurol 88:108-22