Generating a Traumatic Brain Injury Mouse Model Using an Impactor Probe

Begin with an immobilized, anesthetized mouse with a shaved head.

Apply an eye ointment and disinfect the scalp with iodine.

Remove the excess iodine, and cover the mouse with a surgical drape.

Make a midline incision to expose the skull and clean the wound.

Mark a circle on one side of the skull, targeting the brain cortex.

The cortex contains motor and sensory neurons crucial for signal transmission between the brain and the body. 

Drill through the skull bone over the marking in a circular fashion, then remove the bone flap to expose the cortex.

Position a sterilized impactor probe over the exposed area. Hit the probe over the tissue to deliver high pressure.

This pressure induces trauma in the brain cortex, disrupting the motor and sensory neurons and impairing signal transmission.

Clear the wound and suture it. The mouse model with traumatic brain injury is ready for further experiments.

To perform a unilateral craniectomy, confirm a lack of response to toe pinch in the anesthetized mouse, and secure the mouse in a stereotaxic frame. Apply antibiotic ophthalmic ointment to the eyes with a sterile cotton swab, and iodine-based solution to the shaved scalp area. Remove the iodin