Induction of Traumatic Brain Injury in a Rat Model Using a Lateral Fluid Percussion Device

Place an anesthetized rat on a stereotaxic frame.

Make a midline incision and retract the skin to expose the skull.

Disinfect the skull, dry the surface, and scrape it to flatten the target area for cannula placement.

Drill a hole and remove the bone flap to expose the dura mater, the brain's outer covering.

Clean the skull with a swab.

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

Fill it with artificial cerebrospinal fluid to prevent the dura mater from drying.

Connect the rat to the tubing of the lateral fluid percussion device, which consists of a pendulum and a fluid-filled reservoir.

As the rat regains the withdrawal reflex, release the pendulum from a calibrated angle to strike the reservoir, generating a pressure wave that hits the brain.

The pressure damages blood vessels and causes neural cell death, leading to traumatic brain injury.

Allow the rat to recover to assess the injury-induced neurodegeneration.

Make a 1.5 to 2.5-centimeters midline incision through the skin and muscle of the scalp using a number 10 scalpel blade. Retract the skin and muscle to expose the skull and provide a clear surgical field. Electric cautery is useful for achieving quick