Inducing Ischemia via Middle Cerebral and Common Carotid Artery Occlusion in a Rat Model

Source: Wayman, C. et al., Performing Permanent Distal Middle Cerebral with Common Carotid Artery Occlusion in Aged Rats to Study Cortical Ischemia with Sustained Disability. J. Vis. Exp. (2016) This video demonstrates the procedure of performing permanent distal middle cerebral artery occlusion, or MCAO, with the common carotid artery, or CCA ligation, in aged rats to model ischemic stroke. This blocks blood flow to the brain, leading to neuronal death and generating a model to study stroke mechanisms and potential treatments.