IN VIVO IMAGING

STROK@LLIANCE has:

– 2 laser speckle flowmeter for in vivo evaluation of cerebral blood flow over the whole cortex
– a CT Scan

We also have access to large imaging equipment from CYCERON, a shared technological platform directly connected to our facilities:

– 7T-MRI (Bruker) with various sequences:

  • lesion and edema volume (T2)
  • diffusion-weighted imaging and ADC mapping
  • perfusion-weighted imaging (T1)
  • angiography (ARM-TOF)
  • hemorrhages (T2*)
  • gadolinium imagery for blood-brain barrier integrity evaluation

– Molecular imagery of inflammation using MRI: VCAM-1 and P-selectin

– µPET-SCAN (Siemens): 18 FDG; 0-15

BEHAVIORAL TESTING

STROK@LLIANCE offers a broad catalogue of behavioral tests for evaluation of both stroke effects and functional recovery.

Most of our tests are automatized or coupled with video-tracking software analysis.

Home cages with environmental enrichment are also available to stimulate functional recovery.

The relevance of our protocols relies on our 25 years of expertise in rodent behavior assessment.

PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING

During surgery, we are able to control for the following parameters:

  • CBF with Laser Doppler flowmeter to control ischemia
  • Blood parameters: arterial blood pressure, blood gases, glycaemia
  • Body temperature

We can also follow-up these parameters in awake animals after stroke onset:

  • Body temperature using telemetry
  • Glycaemia using a blood glucose monitor
  • Arterial blood pressure using tail cuff plethysmography

BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING & ANALYSES

Tissues could be prepared (fresh or fixed) for biochemical, histological and immunological analysis.