Abstract 110

Background: In a clinical settings, neuroprotective treatment should yield longterm neuropsychological improvement even if instituted several hours after the cerebral hypoxic-ischemic insult.

Methods: 7-d-old rats underwent right common carotid artery ligation followed by 100 minutes of hypoxia (8% oxygen). 2 hours after hypoxia, group 1 (n=10) was kept normothermic at 37°C rectally, while group 2 (n=10) was cooled down to 30°C for 24 hours. Magnetic resonance imaging was done at the end of hypoxia, 1d and 35 d after insult: and brain edema/infarction was documented by diffusion and T2 weighted images. Cognitive learning was assessed with the Morris Water Maze (MWM) test 28 d after insult.

Results: Infarct size expressed in % of total brain volume and time (in sec) used for completion of trial are given for both groups in the table.

Table 1 No caption available.
Full size table

Conclusions: Delayed hypothermia diminishes extension of cytotoxic edema and definitive infarction, and it improves longterm behavioural performance as well.