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Strokes that occur in the human brainstem are often lethal; if patients do survive, they are usually left with severe cognitive and/or motor disabilities. Animal models are critical to understanding and treating stroke, but targeting different areas of the brain, such as the brainstem, can be difficult. A new Protocol this month details the steps to induce a focal infarction in the rat brainstem.
A new CRISPR/Cas9 method that can generate F0 mutant zebrafish has the potential to cut costs, spare time, and reduce animal use for researchers interested in screening loss-of-function alleles in vivo.
A new rat model of brainstem ischemia is described. Selective ligation of four points of the lower basilar artery causes a localized brainstem ischemic lesion in adult rats, resulting in hemiparesis, as well as abnormal posture, body balance and locomotion.