Table 1 Common stroke models used in studies of rehabilitation

MCAo (indirect ischemia)

+Models transient or permanent ischemia;

-Large and variable infarcts;

[48, 49, 51, 52, 71]

+No craniectomy required;

-Collateral damage due to non-targeted vasculature;

+Results in cortical and striatal damage

-Feeding problems may occur;

+Widely used and well-characterized

-Some mortality

Endothelin-1 (indirect or direct ischemia)

+Models transient ischemia;

-Requires removal of some skull tissue;

[55–58, 72]

+Can produce cortical and striatal damage;

-Less control over duration of occlusion;

+Ability to control precise variables (e.g. concentration, injection volume, stereotaxic coordinates) resulting in localized lesions;

-Mechanism of vessel occlusion not well elucidated

+Can be used to model lacunar infarcts

+Low mortality rate

Photothrombosis (indirect or direct ischemia)

+Models permanent ischemia; low mortality rate;

-Requires skull thinning (direct);

[61, 63–66]

+Precise control over lesion size and location (direct);

-Can only produce cortical damage (direct);

+Full craniectomy is avoided

-Collateral damage to non-targeted areas (indirect)

-No penumbra

Devascularization (direct ischemia)

+Models permanent ischemia;

-Requires removal of skull tissue;

[59, 67–69]

+Relatively good control over lesion size location;

-Mechanical damage can occur to surrounding tissue and vessels;

-Can produce surface damage only;

-No penumbra