title: Traumatic brain injury: clinical and pathological parameters in an experimental weightdrop model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the function of an experimental cranium trauma model in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The equipment, already described in the literature and under discreet adaptations, is composed by a platform that produces closed head impact controlled by weight drop with pre-defined and known energy. 25 Wistar male rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) were divided into five equal groups that received different quantities of cranial impact energy: G1, G2, G3 and G4 with 0,234J, 0,5J, 0,762J and 1J respectively and G5 (Sham). Under intense analgesia, each group was evaluated clinically in a sequence of intervals and had their encephalon removed for pathologic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Important clinical alterations (convulsions, bradycardia, bradypnea and abnormal postures) and focal pathologic (hematomas and hemorrhages) kept proportion with the intensity of the impact. No fracture was observed and the group 4 had 80% mortality rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experimental cranium trauma animal model by weight drop is an alternative of low cost and easy reproduction that allows evaluating clinical and pathological alterations in accordance with studies in experimental surgery aims for new traumatic brain injury approach in rats.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, UESPI, Piaui, Brazil.
authors: Danilo dos Santos
authors: Ddos S
authors: Silva
authors: José Nazareno Pearce de Oliveira
authors: JN
authors: Brito
authors: Jerúsia Oliveira
authors: JO
authors: Ibiapina
authors: Marcel Fernando Miranda Batista
authors: MF
authors: Lima
authors: Andréa Ribeiro Gonçalves de Vasconcelos
authors: AR
authors: Medeiros
authors: Bárbara Hamedy Carvalho e
authors: BH
authors: Queiroz
authors: Vanessa Olímpio de Melo
authors: VO
authors: Guedes
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices