Generating a Mouse Model of Traumatic Brain Injury Using a Lateral Fluid Percussion Device

Take an anesthetized mouse and apply eye ointment to prevent its eyes from drying.

Shave the head, disinfect the scalp, and incise in the sagittal plane to expose the skull.

Remove the connective tissue layer and mark the target area for injury.

Drill to create a bone flap, then remove it to expose the dura mater, the brain's outer covering.

Place a cannula over the dura mater and secure it with dental cement.

Fill the cannula with saline, ensuring no air bubbles form, and connect it to the tubing of the lateral fluid percussion device, containing a pendulum and a fluid-filled reservoir.

Release the pendulum from a calibrated angle to strike the reservoir, generating a pressure pulse that travels through the fluid and reaches the brain.

The mechanical stress damages neurons, causing traumatic brain injury.

Remove the cannula, suture the incision, and allow the mouse to recover for further analysis.

For traumatic brain injury induction, confirm a lack of response to toe pinch in an anesthetized mouse, and apply ointment to the animal's eyes. After shaving, disinfect the exposed scalp skin with 70% ethanol before incising the scalp in a sagittal plane. Using forceps, retract the inci