A behavioral and histological comparison of fluid percussion injury and controlled cortical impact injury to the rat sensorimotor cortex

•We characterized two animal models of traumatic brain injury (TBI): Cortical Contusion Injury (CCI) and Fluid Percussion Injury (FPI).•We evaluated behavioral and histological deficits in these models over the sensorimotor cortex (SMC).•Gross behavioral sensory and motor deficits were found in the absence of cognitive deficits.•Histological data verifying a more focal CCI injury and more diffuse FPI injury were found.•Both of these injury models over the SMC produce severe and enduring behavioral deficits, ideal for evaluating treatment options.

Our primary goal was to evaluate the behavioral and histological outcome of fluid percussion injury (FPI) and cortical contusion injury (CCI) to the sensorimotor cortex (SMC). The SMC has been used to evaluate neuroplasticity following CCI, but has not been extensively examined with FPI. In both the CCI and FPI models, a mechanical force of 4 mm in diameter was applied over the SMC, allowing for a direct comparison to measure the relative rates of histology and recovery of function in these models. Gross behavioral deficits were found on the sensory task (tactile adhesive removal task) and multiple motor assessments (forelimb asymmetry task, forelimb placing task, and rotorod). These sensorimotor deficits occurred in the absence of cognitive deficits in the water maze. The CCI model creates focal damage with a localized injury wheras the FPI model creates a more diffuse injury causing widespread damage. Both behavioral and histological deficits ensued following both models of injury to the SMC. The neuroplastic changes and ease at which damage to this area can be measured behaviorally make this an excellent location to assess traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatments. No injury model can completely mimic the full spectrum of human TBI and any potential treatments should be validated across both focal and diffuse injury models. Both of these injury models to the SMC produce severe and enduring behavioral deficits, which are ideal for evaluating treatment options.