The Time Course of Cognitive Deficits in Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Abstract

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a devastating stroke type. Approximately 50% of survivors suffer from the permanent disability, caused by the cognitive deficits. To enrich the pre-clinical research on the neurological deficits after SAH, we investigate the temporal cognitive deficits and the longitudinal course of cognitive recovery in endovascular perforation SAH murine model. The SAH mice show reproducible body weakness and headache-symbolized moaning symptoms, which is closed to clinical patients. SAH mice exhibit significantly impaired cognitive function in domains of learning ability, short-term and long-term memory. The cognitive deficits occur mostly in the early phase and recover gradually till day 10 after SAH. The systematical assessments of cognitive function after experimental aneurysmal SAH elucidate the time course of cognitive deficits and provide the time window of potential interventions.

Keywords: Animal model; Cognitive deficits; Subarachnoid hemorrhage.