The Effects of Task-Oriented Training on Motor and Cognitive Function in Focal Ischemic Brain Injury Model of Rat

1) The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the task-oriented training according to the application time with the change of motor and cognition function. Focal ischemic brain injury was produced in Sprague-Dawley rats (20 rats, 250±50 g) through middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). Before MCAo induction, all rats were trained in treadmill training and Morris water maze training for 1 week. Then they were randomly divided into groups; Group I: MCAo induction (n1=5), Group II: the application for simple treadmill task training after MCAo induction (n2=5), Group III: the application for Morris water maze cognitive task training after MCAo induction (n3=5), Group IV: the application for progressive treadmill task training and Morris water maze cognitive task training after MCAo induction (n4=5). Modified limb placing tests (MLPTs) and motor tests (MTs) were performed to test motor function and then Morris water maze acquisition test (MWMAT) and Morris water maze retention test (MWMRT) were performed to test cognitive function. For MTs, there were significant interactions among the groups with the time (p<.001). Group IV showed the steeper increasing pattern than those in other Groups on the 7th and 14th day. For MLPTs, there were significant interactions among the groups with the time (p<.001). The scores in Group III, IV had showed the more decreasing pattern than those in Group I, II since the 7th day and 14th day. For MWMAT, there were significant interactions among the groups with the time (p<.001). Group II found the quadrant circular platform showed the steeper decreasing pattern than that in Group I on the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th day. Group III, IV found the quadrant circular platform showed the slower decreasing pattern than that in Group I, II. For MWMRT, there were significant differences among the four groups (p<.001). The time to dwell on quadrant circular platform in Group IV on the 13th day was the longest compared with other groups. These results suggested that the combined task training was very effective to improve the motor and cognition function for the rats affected on their focal ischemic brain injury.