Figure 3.
Behavioral testing at four weeks after tMCAO (P37 and P38). Percentage of weight-bearing contacts or braces onto cylinder side initiated with the non-impaired forepaw in each of four animal groups was averaged over two trials for each animal (A). Vehicle-tMCAO animals showed marked forelimb asymmetry by demonstrating preferential use of non-impaired (right) limb. EPO treatment significantly decreased this functional asymmetry after tMCAO, and EPO-tMCAO animals did not differ from shams. Regression analysis (B) of percentage of non-impaired limb bracing in cylinder rearing and percentage hemispheric brain volume (ipsilateral/contralateral ratio) shows a direct inverse relationship between forelimb use and hemispheric brain volume (r2= 0.395, p=0.003).