FIG. 1.

Controlled cortical impact to the sensorimotor cortex causes unilateral forelimb motor deficits. Rats were subjected to either sham or controlled cortical impact treatment. Representative photomicrographs of the forelimb area of the sensorimotor cortex of typical sham (A) and controlled cortical impact (B) animals on post-operative day 6, as viewed in Nissl-stained coronal sections. Injury core is outlined. (C) After controlled cortical impact to the forelimb area of the sensorimotor cortex, nonimpaired forelimb errors were not significantly different between controlled cortical impact and sham groups. (D) Injured animals had a significant increase in impaired forelimb placing errors, compared to sham operates, at post-operative days 1 and 6. Data are reported as mean ± SEM. n ≥ 7; *p < 0.05 between sham and controlled cortical impact groups on each day. Post-Op, post-operative; SEM, standard error of the mean; TBI, traumatic brain injury.