Chronic cortical imaging to measure vibrotactile-response plasticity of deafferented hindlimbs in a rat model of spinal cord injury.

Optical brain imaging in rats can be influenced by various technical and instrumental factors that hinder longitudinal visualization of key brain regions, including the cortex. Here, we present a complete methodology utilizing a polymeric cranial window made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), enabling high-clarity, chronic widefield imaging in anesthetized rats. A comprehensive experimental framework was established, incorporating the evaluation of cranial window clarity and the monitoring of sensory-evoked cortical responses to vibrotactile stimulation in the context of thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI). Our findings reveal potential alterations in somatosensory cortical plasticity post-SCI, suggesting a form of cortical neuroplasticity that emerges following injury.