Image-based in vivo assessment of targeting accuracy of stereotactic brain surgery in experimental rodent models.

ABSTRACT: Stereotactic neurosurgery is used in pre-clinical research of neurological and psychiatric disorders in experimental rat and mouse models to engraft a needle or electrode at a pre-defined location in the brain. However, inaccurate targeting may confound the results of such experiments. In contrast to the clinical practice, inaccurate targeting in rodents remains usually unnoticed until assessed by ex vivo end-point histology. We here propose a workflow for in vivo assessment of stereotactic targeting accuracy in small animal studies based on multi-modal post-operative imaging. The surgical trajectory in each individual animal is reconstructed in 3D from the physical implant imaged in post-operative CT and/or its trace as visible in post-operative MRI. By co-registering post-operative image

SUBMITTER: Rangarajan JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5128925 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature