Rodent Brain Surgery
Rodent Brain Surgery - Related Videos
12:13
Considerations for Rodent Surgery
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2016
Source: Kay Stewart, RVT, RLATG, CMAR; Valerie A. Schroeder, RVT, RLATG. University of Notre Dame, IN The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals1 dictates that rodent survival surgery be performed aseptically. Aseptic technique utilizes specific practices that minimize the contamination of the surgical site, including patient preparation, surgeon preparation, sterilization of instruments and other supplies, and the use of a clean and controlled environment. Presurgical planning,...
00:08
Survivable Stereotaxic Surgery in Rodents
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Cited by 50 •
2008
The monitoring of extracellular neurotransmitter levels in distinct brain regions of freely moving animals offers insights on the link between neurotransmitter release and behavior. In vivo microdialysis coupled with electrochemical detection provides excellent anatomical and chemical resolution; and information on how basal neurotransmission is altered by pharmacological or physiological manipulations.
10:29
Principles of Rodent Surgery for the New Surgeon
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Cited by 56 •
2011
Before attempting surgery, a new surgeon should have training in basic surgical techniques and concepts. This article will present basic surgical considerations with an emphasis on rodents.
08:28
Rodent Stereotaxic Surgery
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2023
Stereotaxic (or stereotactic) surgery is a method used to manipulate the brain of living animals. This technique allows researchers to accurately target deep structures within the brain through the use of a stereotaxic atlas, which provides the 3D coordinates of each area with respect to anatomical landmarks on the skull. After the skull is exposed, anesthetized animals are mounted on a specialized instrument known as a stereotaxic frame, which enables the precise placement of experimental...
10:08
Transcranial Electrical Brain Stimulation in Alert Rodents
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Cited by 11 •
2017
This protocol describes a surgical set-up for a permanent epicranial electrode socket and an implanted chest electrode in rodents. By placing a second electrode into the socket, different types of transcranial electrical brain stimulation can be delivered to the motor system in alert animals through the intact skull.
FAQs
A stereotaxic apparatus stabilizes the animal while skull landmarks guide instruments toward defined brain regions. This coordination reduces unwanted movement and helps researchers target comparable locations across procedures. Greater placement precision is especially important when experiments require localized injections, electrode placement, lesioning, or tissue sampling linked to a particular neural circuit or behavioral outcome.
Each intervention provides a different way to study brain function. Injections can deliver material to a selected region, electrodes can monitor neural activity, lesioning can alter a region, and tissue sampling can support anatomical or biological analysis. Matching the intervention to the research question helps connect a manipulation or measurement with neural circuits, behavior, or disease mechanisms.
Reliable outcomes depend on more than accurate targeting. Anesthesia, infection control, pain management, and postoperative monitoring can affect animal welfare and the quality of experimental observations. Careful attention to these conditions helps limit complications and supports consistent interpretation of changes in neural function, behavior, disease-related processes, or responses to therapeutic strategies.
The procedure begins with anesthesia and stabilization in a stereotaxic apparatus. Researchers then use skull landmarks to guide instruments to the intended brain region and perform the planned injection, electrode placement, lesioning, or tissue sampling. Afterward, postoperative monitoring and pain management help assess recovery, protect welfare, and support dependable research observations.
The choice follows the information or experimental change required. Injections support targeted delivery, electrodes enable monitoring, lesioning provides a way to manipulate a brain region, and tissue sampling supplies material for analysis. These options allow investigators to examine neural circuits, behavior, disease mechanisms, or therapeutic strategies from complementary experimental perspectives.
Targeted procedures in living mice and rats can connect specific brain regions with neural circuits, behavior, and disease mechanisms. They also support investigation of therapeutic strategies by allowing researchers to manipulate, monitor, or sample selected areas. Because the work occurs in living animals, experimental findings can be examined alongside behavioral or disease-related outcomes.