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University of Lethbridge

15 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

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Biology

The Structure of Skilled Forelimb Reaching in the Rat: A Movement Rating Scale
Ian Q Whishaw 1, Paul Whishaw 1, Bogdan Gorny 1
1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

The skilled reaching scale divides the movement by a forelimb in a reach for food act into composite elements each of which are evaluated with a three-point scale. The rating scale is described for a normal rat and can be applied toward evaluating neurological motor disorders.

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Biology

Use of Rotorod as a Method for the Qualitative Analysis of Walking in Rat
Ian Q. Whishaw 1, Katie Li 1, Paul A. Whishaw 1, Bogdan Gorny 1, Gerlinde A. Metz 1
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

The rotorod test is used to assess motor status in the walking movement of hemi-Parkinson analogue rats.

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Biology

A Video Demonstration of Preserved Piloting by Scent Tracking but Impaired Dead Reckoning After Fimbria-Fornix Lesions in the Rat
Ian Q. Whishaw 1, Boguslaw P. Gorny 1
1Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

In a piloting scent tracking task, the ability of the rats to return to a refuge with food using visual an odor trail or using dead reckoning in infrared light, the integrated record of previous movements, demonstrates that the hippocampus is necessary for dead reckoning.

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Biology

The Ladder Rung Walking Task: A Scoring System and its Practical Application.
Gerlinde A. Metz 1, Ian Q. Whishaw 1
1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

The ladder rung walking task is a new test to assess skilled walking and measure both forelimb and hindlimb placing, stepping, and inter-limb co-ordination.

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Neuroscience

Recording Large-scale Neuronal Ensembles with Silicon Probes in the Anesthetized Rat
Andrea Gomez Palacio Schjetnan 1, Artur Luczak 1
1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

Extracellular recordings of neuronal activity using silicon probes in the anesthetized rat will be described. This technique allows information to be obtained across multiple brain areas from more than 100 neurons simultaneously. It provides information with single cell resolution about neuronal ensembles dynamics in multiple local circuits.

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Neuroscience

Peering into the Dynamics of Social Interactions: Measuring Play Fighting in Rats
Brett T. Himmler 1, Vivien C. Pellis 1, Sergio M. Pellis 1
1Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

Play fighting in the rat involves attack and defense of the nape of the neck, which if contacted, is gently nuzzled with the snout. Because the movements of one animal are countered by the actions of its partner, play fighting is a complex, dynamic interaction. This dynamic complexity raises methodological problems about what to score for experimental studies. We present a scoring schema that is sensitive to the correlated nature of the actions performed. Two experiments illustrate how these measurements can be used to detect the effect of brain damage on play fighting even when there is no effect on overall playfulness. That is, the schema presented here is designed to detect and evaluate changes in the content of play following an experimental treatment.

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Neuroscience

Visualizing the Effects of a Positive Early Experience, Tactile Stimulation, on Dendritic Morphology and Synaptic Connectivity with Golgi-Cox Staining
Richelle Mychasiuk 1, Robbin Gibb 1, Bryan Kolb 1
1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

This paper describes the procedures for tactile stimulation of rat pups and subsequent Golgi-Cox staining of neuronal morphology. Tactile stimulation is a positive experience that is administered in the perinatal period by stroking pups with a household duster. Golgi-cox staining is a reliable procedure permitting the visualization of entire neurons.

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Behavior

Inchworming: A Novel Motor Stereotypy in the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J Mouse Model of Autism
Jacklyn D. Smith 1, Jong M. Rho 1, Susan A. Masino 2, Richelle Mychasiuk 1
1Departments of Paediatrics and Clinical Neurosciences, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, 2Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Trinity College

Inchworming is a highly repetitive synchronous digging motion displayed by BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice when placed in a testing cage with sufficient sawdust bedding. The procedure is a modification of the juvenile social interaction protocol and is used here to assess repetitive motor stereotypies relevant to Autism Spectrum Disorder.

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Medicine

A Novel Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury for Juvenile Rats
Richelle Mychasiuk 1, Allyson Farran 1, Mariana Angoa-Perez 2, Denise Briggs 2, Donald Kuhn 2, Michael J. Esser 1
1Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine & John D. Dingell VA Medical Center

The modified weight-drop technique is an easy, cost-effective procedure used for the induction of mild traumatic brain injury in juvenile rats. This novel technique produces clinically relevant symptomology that will advance the study of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion.

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Behavior

Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Derek A. Hamilton 1,2, Christy M. Magcalas 1, Daniel Barto 1, Clark W. Bird 1, Carlos I. Rodriguez 1, Brandi C. Fink 3, Sergio M. Pellis 4, Suzy Davies 2, Daniel D. Savage 1,2
1Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 2Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico, 3Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico, 4Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

The goal of the protocol presented here is to describe procedures to expose rats to moderate levels of alcohol during prenatal brain development and to quantify resulting alterations in social behavior during adulthood.

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Neuroscience

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity
Michael Kyweriga *1, Jianjun Sun *1, Sunny Wang 1, Richard Kline 1, Majid H. Mohajerani 1
1Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

This protocol presents a method for creating a large unilateral craniotomy over the temporal and parietal regions of the mouse cerebral cortex. This is especially useful for real time imaging over an expansive area of a cortical hemisphere.

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JoVE Core

Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans
Jenni M. Karl 1, Jessica R. Kuntz 2, Layne A. Lenhart 2, Ian Q. Whishaw 2
1Department of Psychology, Thompson Rivers University, 2Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge

This protocol describes how to use frame-by-frame video analysis to quantify idiosyncratic reach-to-grasp movements in humans. A comparative analysis of reaching in sighted versus unsighted healthy adults is used to demonstrate the technique, but the method can also be applied to the study of developmental and clinical populations.

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Biochemistry

Toeprinting Analysis of Translation Initiation Complex Formation on Mammalian mRNAs
Joseph A. Ross 1, Nehal Thakor 1,2,3
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 2Department of Neuroscience and the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience (CCBN), University of Lethbridge, 3Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary

Toeprinting aims to measure the ability of in vitro transcribed RNA to form translation initiation complexes with ribosomes under a variety of conditions. This protocol describes a method for toeprinting mammalian RNA and can be used to study both cap-dependent and IRES-driven translation.

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Biochemistry

Structural Studies of Macromolecules in Solution using Small Angle X-Ray Scattering
Tyler Mrozowich 1, Steffane McLennan 2, Michael Overduin 2,4, Trushar R. Patel 1,3,4
1Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, 2Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, 3Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 4DiscoveryLab, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta

Here, we present how Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) can be utilized to obtain information on low-resolution envelopes representing the macromolecular structures. When used in conjunction with high-resolution structural techniques such as X-Ray Crystallography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, SAXS can provide detailed insights into multidomain proteins and macromolecular complexes in-solution.

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Neuroscience

Using Neuron Spiking Activity to Trigger Closed-Loop Stimuli in Neurophysiological Experiments
Leonardo A. Molina 1,2, Victorita E. Ivan 1, Aaron J. Gruber *1, Artur Luczak *1
1Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 2Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

This protocol demonstrates how to use an electrophysiological system for closed-loop stimulation triggered by neuronal activity patterns. Sample Matlab code that can be easily modified for different stimulation devices is also provided.

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