title: The effect of electric cortical stimulation after focal traumatic brain injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of electric cortical stimulation in the experimentally induced focal traumatic brain injury (TBI) rat model on motor recovery and plasticity of the injured brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were pre-trained on a single pellet reaching task (SPRT) and on a Rotarod task (RRT) for 14 days. Then, the TBI model was induced by a weight drop device (40 g in weight, 25 cm in height) on the dominant motor cortex, and the electrode was implanted over the perilesional cortical surface. All rats were divided into two groups as follows: Electrical stimulation (ES) group with anodal continuous stimulation (50 Hz and 194 µs duration) or Sham-operated control (SOC) group with no electrical stimulation. The rats were trained SPRT and RRT for 14 days for rehabilitation and measured Garcia's neurologic examination. Histopathological and immunostaining evaluations were performed after the experiment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in the slice number in the histological analysis. Garcia's neurologic scores & SPRT were significantly increased in the ES group (p<0.05), yet, there was no difference in RRT in both groups. The ES group showed more expression of c-Fos around the brain injured area than the SOC group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electric cortical stimulation with rehabilitation is considered to be one of the trial methods for motor recovery in TBI. However, more studies should be conducted for the TBI model in order to establish better stimulation methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju 560-750, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Soon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Ki Pi
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Hyojoon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyoung-Ihl
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Bong Ok
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Kim