Patterns of behavioral deficits in rodents following brain injury across species, gender, and experimental model

Behavioral data were collected from several hundred mice and rats using a variety of experimental models of brain injury. The use of consistent protocols allowed compilation of these data, facilitating analyses of animal behaviors across experimental models, species, and gender. Spatial learning and sensorimotor/coordination data are presented, suggesting that, in general, rats performed better than mice both in the water maze and on the rotarod. Compared with females, males performed slightly better in the water maze and slightly worse on the rotarod. However, gender by species interactions accounted for both of these differences. Male rats performed better in the water maze than female rats, male mice, and female mice, which did not differ. Male mice performed worse on the rotarod than female mice, male rats, and female rats, which performed similarly. Furthermore, animals with subcortical injury were impaired in the water maze, but performed better than animals with cortical injuries. However, only animals with cortical injuries were impaired on the rotarod. Additional covariates, such as edema and lesion size, may further clarify these phenotypes. Overall, we provide evidence that abbreviated test batteries can be specifically designed to test deficits, depending on the species, gender, and model.