The effect of age, sex and strains on the performance and outcome in animal models of stroke.pdf

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and the majority of cerebral stroke is caused by occlusionof cerebral circulation, which eventually leads to brain infarction. Although stroke occurs mainly in the agedpopulation, most animal models for experimental stroke in vivo almost universally rely on young-adult rodentsfor the evaluation of neuropathological, neurological, or behavioral outcomes after stroke due to their greateravailability, lower cost, and fewer health problems. However, it is well established that aged animals differ fromyoung animals in terms of physiology, neurochemistry, and behavior. Stroke-induced changes are more pronouncedwith advancing age. Therefore, the overlooked role of age in animal models of stroke could have animpact on data quality and hinder the translation of rodent models to humans. In addition to aging, other factorsalso influence functional performance after ischemic stroke. In this article, we summarize the differences betweenyoung and aged animals, the impact of age, sex and animal strains on performance and outcome in animalmodels of stroke and emphasize age as a key factor in preclinical stroke studies.