A simple, inexpensive method of monitoring brain temperature in conscious rodents

A method was developed to monitor brain temperature in conscious, unrestrained rodents. A commercially available thermocouple microprobe was modified so that it could be screwed firmly into a guide cannula that had been stereotactically implanted in the brain. Because the microprobe remains firmly in place, it is possible to record continuously for several hours from a single animal. Because the microprobe is easily removed, one can also record intermittently from several animals at once. The necessary equipment is relatively inexpensive and the modified microprobe can be sterilized and reused indefinitely. This method has proved especially useful for monitoring brain temperature during and after transient cerebral ischemia, an insult that destroys CNS neurons in a temperature-sensitive fashion.