Long-Term Effects of Sequential Small Cortical Infarcts on Brain Volume and Cognitive Function

Multiple ischemic brain lesions are commonly associated with progressive cognitive impairment leading to some types of vascular dementia in the elderly. Only little is known about the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. We here analyzed the effects of single and multiple small cortical infarcts on brain volume and cognitive function using the photothrombosis model in rats. Different experimental groups received single small infarcts in the forelimb somatosensory cortex (SL) or two sequential infarcts either immediately (DL0), 2 days (DL2), 7d (DL7), or 10 days (DL10) after the first infarct in the same are…