Kriss Franklin, Amanda Pollard and Justine Shaffer assisted in animal training and data collection. Sarah Freeman and Alisa Ivanova contributed to data analysis. This study is supported by WVU School of Medicine Start-Up, NIH/NIGMS U54GM104942, and NIH CoBRE P20GM109098.

Il seguente paradigma formazione impiega l&#39;analisi delle rettifiche di fase del media per adulti Sprague-Dawley di ratto. Assicurarsi che il protocollo qui descritto è in conformità con le vostre linee guida per la cura degli animali istituzionali. Tutte le procedure di questo studio sono stati eseguiti in conformità con la cura e l&#39;uso Comitato Animal Istituzionale (IACUC) e Ufficio per Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) alla West Virginia University School of Medicine e si conforma al National Institutes of linee guida di salute per l&#39;uso delle sperimentale animali. 1. apparecchiature di installazione <ol><li> Costruire la passerella asimmetrica come una scatola di plastica open-top rinforzato con supporti in alluminio ad ogni angolo misura 155 cm x 104 cm (Figura 1). Brace i bordi superiori della scatola con barre di alluminio scanalati su entrambi i lati per consentire il posizionamento alternato piolo, lungo il perimetro della scatola, in modo che ciascun piolo consecutive sullo stesso lato definisce la lunghezza del passo. </li&gt; <li> Inserire un 20 cm x 20 cm piattaforma su ogni angolo (quattro totale) che separa le condizioni rappresentate su ciascun lato. Questa distanza deve essere sufficiente per l&#39;inserimento della distanza percorsa da un singolo ciclo del passo ratto. <ol><li> Utilizzare pioli in alluminio con dimensioni di 20 cm x 1 cm x 0,5 cm. Piegare la parte superiore di ogni spina 2,5 cm dalla punta a produrre una piattaforma di posizionamento del piede. </li><li> Fissare i picchetti alle barre scanalate con scorrevole parentesi all&#39;interno attraverso i fori lavorati alla stessa distanza per assicurare livello di posizionamento orizzontale. Regolare le posizioni con un cacciavite e un righello. Utilizzare una larghezza piolo 1 centimetro che corrisponde approssimativamente alla dimensione media topo zampa; pioli più sottili o più ampi sono o disagio o aumentare la variabilità posizionamento del piede. </li></ol></li><li> Manipolare il posizionamento perno su ogni lato per produrre uno dei tre precise condizioni sfida stepping. <ol><li> Produrre un compito motorio simmetrica con una lunghezza di passo 15 centimetri (SL15) impostando la sinistra inter-falcata lunghezza (l ISL) e proprio la lunghezza tra falcata (r ISL) alla metà della lunghezza del passo (7,5 cm). </li><li> Imporre una condizione simmetrica aggiuntivo (SL12) cambiando l ISL e r ISL lunghezze a 6,0 cm. </li><li> Produrre i compiti asimmetrici cambiando la distanza tra pioli sui lati sinistro e destro, definito dalla lunghezza inter-passo. Per sfidare il sistema motorio asimmetrico, modificare la ISL L e R ISL del 20% per imporre brevi inter-stride lunghezze sia sulla sinistra (condizione L6R9) oppure a destra (L9R6) laterali. Il CM perturbazioni 1,5 impongono l ISL di 6 cm e r ISL di 9 cm per la condizione L6R9, o l ISL di 9 cm ed una ISL r di 6 cm per la condizione L9R6 </li></ol></li><li> Per ratti, mantenere la lunghezza del passo per tutte le condizioni tranne SL12 a un preferito di 15 cm. </li><li> Per comodità, assegnare ciascun lato lungo della passerella una condizione asimmetrica favorendo sinistro o il right lato del soggetto, riservando due lati corti per la condizione di controllo simmetrica. </li><li> Setup una telecamera ad alta definizione con una frequenza di campionamento di almeno 60 Hz in modo che il posizionamento degli arti pioli è ostruita con fotocamera punta perpendicolarmente alla passerella con il campo visivo che copre circa 7 passi. Il primo e l&#39;ultimo passo in prossimità di piattaforme vengono ignorate. </li></ol> 2. Formazione su Apparatus <ol><li> Si prega di utilizzare le risorse di formazione standard, ad es., NIH Formazione in base Biomethodology per topi di laboratorio, per familiarizzare con la formazione generale del comportamento dei roditori. </li><li> All&#39;inizio della formazione, acclimatare soggetti ponendo e ricompensandoli sulla piattaforma 20 x 20 centimetri per almeno 5 minuti. Poi, guidare gli animali attraverso un accordo piolo con un 1 cm Lunghezza inter-falcata alla prossima piattaforma per la presentazione di una ricompensa in cibo. Premiare gli animali verbalmente e con carezze per raggiungere la piattaforma. </li><li> After 5 piste di allenamento, spazio i pioli un extra di 1 - 2 cm di distanza e svolgere i prossimi 5 piste di allenamento. Il numero di ripetizioni elencato qui è sufficiente a produrre statisticamente appropriata dimensione del campione (20 - 35 gradini). <ol><li> Se l&#39;animale acquisisce il compito più lentamente, come giudicato dalla consistenza di passo (senza sosta) e la postura (schiena arcuata), per poi focalizzarsi formazione sul rafforzamento di queste competenze alle brevi lunghezze falcata (S12) prima di riprendere formazione sui lunghi passi ( S15) alla fine si avvicina la lunghezza del passo desiderato. </li><li> Se la nuova spaziatura induce ansia o disagio con il compito, riaggiustare i pioli per l&#39;impostazione precedente e ripetere il paradigma di formazione. </li><li> Procedere con questa formazione fino a quando la lunghezza corretta inter-falcata si ottengono per le quattro condizioni e le norme locomotore sono soddisfatte. Nella nostra esperienza, i ratti rispondono bene a incoraggiamento vocale come spunti per avviare un processo. Il test può essere eseguito lo stesso giorno come formazione previstoi soggetti sono motivati ​​per eseguire l&#39;operazione. Nota: Le norme locomotorie sono le seguenti: a piedi è coerente e non comporta arresti o passi falsi; testa alla maschietta è minima; la parte posteriore è arcuato e la coda è sollevata durante la locomozione; ogni arto è chiaramente visibile da una vista ortogonale della passerella a insorgenza e offset di fase di appoggio. Questo processo di selezione è essenziale come il presente studio si concentra solo a camminare piuttosto che altri comportamenti gaiting. </li></ol></li></ol> 3. Prove e analisi dei dati <ol><li> Animali da esperimento sui compiti S12, S15, L9R6, e L6R9 (descritti nella sezione 1.3) con disegno randomizzato sessione. Usa pause per evitare di adattamento all&#39;interno di un compito. </li><li> Sessioni di registrazione con fotocamera ad alta definizione, con una frequenza di campionamento di almeno 60 Hz. Importa registrazioni video senza re-campionamento in software di video editing e selezionare solo le attacchi a piedi per ulteriori analisi. </li><li> Mark insorge e offset delle fasi cinematichein registrazioni video di ogni soggetto. </li><li> Qui, utilizzare il software personalizzato chiamato Videoa scritto in Matlab per identificare manualmente il tempo della posizione insorgenza e offset per ogni arto su base fotogramma-per-fotogramma, dove posizione insorgenza è indicato dalla perdita dell&#39;effetto movimento associato al posizionamento degli arti sulla un piolo, e la posizione di offset, che si verificano al momento della comparsa di arto lift-off, è indicato per la prima prova di motion blur. </li><li> Calcolare la durata della fase di oscillazione come il tempo rimanente tra due consecutivi esacerbazioni stance cinematiche. Escludere qualsiasi comportamento non è coerente con overground camminare quadrupede, ad es., Quando l&#39;andatura contiene un doppio fase di oscillazione (entrambi arti anteriori o zampe posteriori da terra), dal procedimento di analisi. </li><li> Tracciare la durata di ogni fase in funzione della durata del ciclo corrispondente passo. Cattura il rapporto con il modello di regressione lineare (Tphase = B1 + B2 * Tc) ottenuto per ogni arto, dove Tc è la durata del ciclo, è l&#39;e Tphaseither Te posizione estensore legati o Tf, che è l&#39;oscillazione flessori riscontrato, e B1 e B2 sono costanti empiriche (offset e slope) del modello di regressione. Nota: La pendenza (B2) rappresenta la quantità di variazione della durata di fase con il cambiamento di velocità di locomozione. </li><li> Utilizzare Equazioni 1 e 2 (Figura 2C) per ogni arto per calcolare l&#39;indice di asimmetria (AI). Entrambe le equazioni hanno la stessa forma di un semplice rapporto che normalizza la differenza dei due valori alla loro somma. <ol><li> Con l&#39;equazione 1, calcolare la differenza orizzontale (AI h) che utilizza la differenza tra pendii di modulazione posizione di sinistra (L) e destro (r) arti. Analogamente, calcolare l&#39;asimmetria verticale (AI v) utilizzando le piste da anteriore / anteriore (a) e posteriore (p) arti posteriori /. Il risultato dell&#39;applicazione di queste due equazioni è l&#39;insieme di dati di 4 punti xy corrispondenti a 1) forelimb asimmetria, &lt;em&gt; AAI h; 2) l&#39;asimmetria degli arti posteriori, Pai h; 3) a sinistra zampa anteriore-hindlimb asimmetria, LAI v; 4) l&#39;asimmetria degli arti posteriori zampa anteriore-destra, Raï v. </li><li> Tracciare questi valori come patch (Figura 2B) per la rappresentazione visiva di asimmetria in tutte le arti. </li></ol></li><li> Calcolo indici diagonalità (DI) per valutare l&#39;accoppiamento diagonale tra parametri di una zampa anteriore e del suo arti posteriori controlaterale (Equazione 3, Figura 2C). </li><li> Testare il DI, nonché la differenza di quattro IA tra le condizioni di asimmetria opposte (ΔAI = | AIL9R6 - AIL6R9 |) per la significatività statistica utilizzando ANOVA al confronto post-hoc di mezzi analisi 19 </li></ol>

<ol>
	<li>Curzon, P., Zhang, M., Radek, R. J., Fox, G. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> The Behavioral Assessment of Sensorimotor Processes in the Mouse: Acoustic Startle, Sensory Gating, Locomotor Activity, Rotarod, and Beam Walking. Methods of Behavior Analysis in Neuroscience.. , (2009).</li><li>Basso, D. M., Beattie, M. S., Bresnahan, J. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+sensitive+and+reliable+locomotor+rating+scale+for+open+field+testing+in+rats.">A sensitive and reliable locomotor rating scale for open field testing in rats.</a> Journal of Neurotrauma. 12 (1), 1-21 (1995).</li><li>Basso, D. M., Beattie, M. S., Bresnahan, J. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Graded+histological+and+locomotor+outcomes+after+spinal+cord+contusion+using+the+NYU+weight-drop+device+versus+transection.">Graded histological and locomotor outcomes after spinal cord contusion using the NYU weight-drop device versus transection.</a> Experimental Neurology. 139 (2), 244-256 (1996).</li><li>Li, S., Shi, Z., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assessing+gait+impairment+after+permanent+middle+cerebral+artery+occlusion+in+rats+using+an+automated+computer-aided+control+system.">Assessing gait impairment after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats using an automated computer-aided control system.</a> Behavioural Brain Research. 250, 174-191 (2013).</li><li>Vandeputte, C., Taymans, J. -. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automated+quantitative+gait+analysis+in+animal+models+of+movement+disorders.">Automated quantitative gait analysis in animal models of movement disorders.</a> BMC Neuroscience. 11, 92 (2010).</li><li>Yakovenko, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chapter+10+-+A+hierarchical+perspective+on+rhythm+generation+for+locomotor+control.">Chapter 10 - A hierarchical perspective on rhythm generation for locomotor control.</a> Progress in Brain Research. 188, 151-166 (2011).</li><li>Giszter, S. F., Hockensmith, G., Ramakrishnan, A., Udoekwere, U. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=How+spinalized+rats+can+walk:+biomechanics,+cortex+and+hindlimb+muscle+scaling+-+implications+for+rehabilitation.">How spinalized rats can walk: biomechanics, cortex and hindlimb muscle scaling - implications for rehabilitation.</a> Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1198, 279-293 (2010).</li><li>Smith, J. L., Edgerton, V. R., Eldred, E., Zernicke, R. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+chronic+spinalized+cat:+a+model+for+neuromuscular+plasticity.">The chronic spinalized cat: a model for neuromuscular plasticity.</a> Birth Defects Original Article Series. 19 (4), 357-373 (1983).</li><li>Yakovenko, S., Drew, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+motor+cortical+contribution+to+the+anticipatory+postural+adjustments+that+precede+reaching+in+the+cat.">A motor cortical contribution to the anticipatory postural adjustments that precede reaching in the cat.</a> Journal of Neurophysiology. 102 (2), 853-874 (2009).</li><li>Yakovenko, S., Krouchev, N., Drew, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sequential+Activation+of+Motor+Cortical+Neurons+Contributes+to+Intralimb+Coordination+During+Reaching+in+the+Cat+by+Modulating+Muscle+Synergies.">Sequential Activation of Motor Cortical Neurons Contributes to Intralimb Coordination During Reaching in the Cat by Modulating Muscle Synergies.</a> Journal of Neurophysiology. 105, 388-409 (2011).</li><li>Pizzi, A., Carlucci, G., Falsini, C., Lunghi, F., Verdesca, S., Grippo, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gait+in+hemiplegia:+Evaluation+of+clinical+features+with+the+Wisconsin+Gait+Scale.">Gait in hemiplegia: Evaluation of clinical features with the Wisconsin Gait Scale.</a> Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. 39 (9), 170-174 (2007).</li><li>Bohannon, R. W., Horton, M. G., Wikholm, J. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Importance+of+four+variables+of+walking+to+patients+with+stroke.">Importance of four variables of walking to patients with stroke.</a> International Journal of Rehabilitation Research. 14 (3), 246-250 (1991).</li><li>Richards, C., Malouin, F., Dumas, F., Tardif, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gait+velocity+as+an+outcome+measure+of+locomotor+recovery+after+stroke.">Gait velocity as an outcome measure of locomotor recovery after stroke.</a> Gait Analysis. Theory and Application. , 355-364 (1995).</li><li>Thaut, M. H., McIntosh, G. C., Rice, R. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rhythmic+facilitation+of+gait+training+in+hemiparetic+stroke+rehabilitation.">Rhythmic facilitation of gait training in hemiparetic stroke rehabilitation.</a> Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 151, 207-212 (1997).</li><li>Hsu, A. -. L., Tang, P. -. F., Jan, M. -. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analysis+of+impairments+influencing+gait+velocity+and+asymmetry+of+hemiplegic+patients+after+mild+to+moderate+stroke.">Analysis of impairments influencing gait velocity and asymmetry of hemiplegic patients after mild to moderate stroke.</a> Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 84 (8), 1185-1193 (2003).</li><li>Jansen, K., De Groote, F., Duysens, J., Jonkers, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Muscle+contributions+to+center+of+mass+acceleration+adapt+to+asymmetric+walking+in+healthy+subjects.">Muscle contributions to center of mass acceleration adapt to asymmetric walking in healthy subjects.</a> Gait &amp; Posture. 38 (4), 739-744 (2013).</li><li>Halbertsma, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+stride+cycle+of+the+cat:+the+modelling+of+locomotion+by+computerized+analysis+of+automatic+recordings.">The stride cycle of the cat: the modelling of locomotion by computerized analysis of automatic recordings.</a> Acta physiologica Scandinavica. 521, 1-75 (1983).</li><li>Metz, G. A., Whishaw, I. Q. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+ladder+rung+walking+task:+a+scoring+system+and+its+practical+application.">The ladder rung walking task: a scoring system and its practical application.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments : JoVE. (28), 4-7 (2009).</li><li>Hogg, R. V., Ledolter, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Engineering+Statistics.">Engineering Statistics.</a> , (1987).</li><li>Brown, T. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+intrinsic+factors+in+the+act+of+progression+in+the+mammal.">The intrinsic factors in the act of progression in the mammal.</a> Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Containing Papers of a Biological Character. 84 (572), 308-319 (1911).</li><li>Kiehn, O. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Locomotor+circuits+in+the+mammalian+spinal+cord.">Locomotor circuits in the mammalian spinal cord.</a> Annual Review of Neuroscience. 29, 279-306 (2006).</li><li>Blitz, D. M., Nusbaum, M. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=State-dependent+presynaptic+inhibition+regulates+central+pattern+generator+feedback+to+descending+inputs.">State-dependent presynaptic inhibition regulates central pattern generator feedback to descending inputs.</a> The Journal of Neuroscience. 28 (38), 9564-9574 (2008).</li><li>Martin, J. H., Ghez, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Red+nucleus+and+motor+cortex:+parallel+motor+systems+for+the+initiation+and+control+of+skilled+movement.">Red nucleus and motor cortex: parallel motor systems for the initiation and control of skilled movement.</a> Behavioural Brain Research. 28 (1-2), 271-223 (1998).</li><li>Drew, T., Jiang, W., Kably, B., Lavoie, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Role+of+the+motor+cortex+in+the+control+of+visually+triggered+gait+modifications.">Role of the motor cortex in the control of visually triggered gait modifications.</a> Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 74 (4), 426-442 (1996).</li><li>Drew, T., Andujar, J. -. E., Lajoie, K., Yakovenko, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cortical+mechanisms+involved+in+visuomotor+coordination+during+precision+walking.">Cortical mechanisms involved in visuomotor coordination during precision walking.</a> Brain Research Reviews. 57 (1), 199-211 (2008).</li><li>Longa, E. Z., Weinstein, P. R., Carlson, S., Cummins, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reversible+middle+cerebral+artery+occlusion+without+craniectomy+in+rats.">Reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion without craniectomy in rats.</a> Stroke. 20 (1), 84-91 (1989).</li><li>Ulu&#231;, K., Miranpuri, A., Kujoth, G. C., Akt&#252;re, E., Ba&#351;kaya, M. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Focal+Cerebral+Ischemia+Model+by+Endovascular+Suture+Occlusion+of+the+Middle+Cerebral+Artery+in+the+Rat.">Focal Cerebral Ischemia Model by Endovascular Suture Occlusion of the Middle Cerebral Artery in the Rat.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments : JoVE. 48, e1978 (2011).</li><li>Hackney, D. B., Finkelstein, S. D., Hand, C. M., Markowitz, R. S., Black, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Postmortem+Magnetic+Resonance+Imaging+of+Experimental+Spinal+Cord+Injury+Magnetic+Resonance+Findings+versus+In+Vivo+Functional+Deficit.">Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Experimental Spinal Cord Injury Magnetic Resonance Findings versus In Vivo Functional Deficit.</a> Neurosurgery. 35 (6), 1104-1111 (1994).</li><li>Kjaerulff, O., Kiehn, O. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Distribution+of+Networks+Generating+and+Coordinating+Locomotor+Activity+in+the+Neonatal+Rat+Spinal+Cord+In+Vitro:+A+Lesion+Study.">Distribution of Networks Generating and Coordinating Locomotor Activity in the Neonatal Rat Spinal Cord In Vitro: A Lesion Study.</a> The Journal of Neuroscience. 16 (18), 5777-5794 (1996).</li><li>Liddell, E. G. T., Phillips, C. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Striatal+and+pyramidal+lesions+in+the+cat.">Striatal and pyramidal lesions in the cat.</a> Brain. 69 (4), 264-279 (1946).</li><li>Beloozerova, I. N., Sirota, M. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Role+of+the+Motor+Cortex+in+the+Control+of+Accuracy+of+Locomotor+Movements+in+the+Cat.">The Role of the Motor Cortex in the Control of Accuracy of Locomotor Movements in the Cat.</a> Journal of Physiology. 461, 1-25 (1993).</li><li>Hill, K. D., Goldie, P. A., Baker, P. A., Greenwood, K. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Retest+reliability+of+the+temporal+and+distance+characteristics+of+hemiplegic+gait+using+a+footswitch+system.">Retest reliability of the temporal and distance characteristics of hemiplegic gait using a footswitch system.</a> Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 75 (5), 577-583 (1994).</li><li>Hillyer, J. E., Joynes, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+new+measure+of+hindlimb+stepping+ability+in+neonatally+spinalized+rats.">A new measure of hindlimb stepping ability in neonatally spinalized rats.</a> Behavioural Brain Research. 202 (2), 291-302 (2009).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

The rationale for this study was to develop a behavioral task that quantitatively assesses the changes in precise control of asymmetric locomotor behaviors. The existence of the spinal CPG has been functionally demonstrated for some time20, but the anatomical and functional characteristics that describe its mechanism as well as its modulatory inputs from descending or sensory feedback pathways have not been characterized until the past decade6,21,22. The current consensus is that the intrinsic spina...

Post-ictus morbilità nella popolazione superstite comprende menomazioni motorie che rappresentano una sfida per la valutazione quantitativa di entrambi gli esseri umani dopo l&#39;ictus e animali modelli di danno neurologico 1. In ambito clinico, queste difficoltà motorie sono valutate con criteri soggettivi che sono più sensibili al deterioramento grave piuttosto che moderata esibito dalla maggior parte dei pazienti. Allo stesso modo, tali valutazioni soggettive del comportamento motorio post-infortunio negli animali sono comuni, ad esempio., Basso, Beattie e Bresnahan (BBB) ​​scala locomotore metodo 2,3. Mentre questi metodi di valutazione soggettivi stanno aiutando traduzione tra gli studi di riabilitazione andatura in modelli animali quadrupedi e gli esseri umani, i dettagli di deficit motori associati all&#39;attività dei gruppi muscolari separati non sono valutati. Inoltre, la valutazione del contributo corticale motore locomozione, come il colpevole putativo di deficit motorio in un incidente cerebrovascolare,può essere ottenuto solo indirettamente anche utilizzando metodi quantitativi più nuovi automatizzate 4,5, in quanto si basano sul campo aperto o compiti lineari piedi. Queste attività non richiedono contributo corticale e possono essere eseguite dai meccanismi neurali del midollo spinale, animali cioè, il generatore di pattern centrale (CPG) della rete che è risparmiata nella maggior modelli animali di danno neuronale, ad esempio, spinalized 6 -.. 8 . Contributo corticale essenziale a questi meccanismi spinali è stata sperimentalmente coinvolto in compiti che richiedono anticipato aggiustamenti posturali 9 e raggiungendo 10, così come precisa un passo 10. Inoltre, molti danni neurologici è asimmetrica; per esempio, ictus provoca emiparesi, cioè, debolezza su un lato del corpo, che si traduce in un andatura asimmetrica 11 -. 14. L&#39;asimmetria di andatura emiplegica è prodotto da spatiotempor asimmetricaattivazione muscolare al manifesta più significativamente abbreviando la fase di appoggio estensore associata e l&#39;allungamento della fase di oscillazione flessori-associato del ciclo gradino sul lato paretico 15,16. Questa tendenza non è stato ancora esplorato attraverso una gamma di velocità locomotore in animali sani o paretici. In questo studio, abbiamo utilizzato l&#39;analisi della fase durata caratteristiche 17 che descrive la relazione tra la durata delle fasi di oscillazione o una posizione in funzione della durata del ciclo in ogni passaggio. Il modello di regressione lineare ottenuta è stata poi ulteriormente descritto con l&#39;analisi di asimmetria in tutte le arti. Descriviamo un metodo a basso costo romanzo per valutare l&#39;attività di input corticali decrescente nel sistema motorio degli animali quadrupedi basati su un compito preciso passo locomotore. Questo compito è stato progettato per sfidare la corteccia motoria imponendo esigenze di posizionamento del piede in un area di ripartizione naturale di velocità a piedi. Inoltre, I requisiti piede-posizionamento sono manipolati a sfidare preferenzialmente sul lato sinistro o destro del sistema motorio. In un compito motorio simile, Metz e Whishaw (2009) hanno esaminato i tassi di fallimento, il numero di passi perse sul irregolare passerella gradino, nei ratti. Il nostro metodo è gratuita per questo studio precedente, e in dettaglio la qualità del controllo fase &quot;di successo&quot; 18 passi.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1007">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:361px;">MATLAB&#174; R2013a</td>
			<td style="width:107px;">MathWorks</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:420px;">Design platform for custom videoa video annotation software</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sony HDR-CX380/B High Definition Handycam</td>
			<td style="width:107px;">Sony</td>
			<td>27-HDRCX330/B</td>
			<td>Video acquisition device.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Jif Creamy Peanut Butter - Gluten Free 454 g</td>
			<td style="width:107px;">J.M. Smucker Company</td>
			<td>NA</td>
			<td>Food reward stimulus.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:361px;">Sucrose Tablet - Chocolate 1800 g</td>
			<td style="width:107px;">TestDiet</td>
			<td>1811256</td>
			<td>Food reward stimulus.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:361px;">Manzanita Wood Gnawing Sticks</td>
			<td style="width:107px;">BioServe</td>
			<td>W0016</td>
			<td>For presentation of food reward stimulus.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

asymmetric walkway: a novel behavioral assay for studying asymmetric locomotion

Saggi comportamentali sono comunemente usati per la valutazione di deterioramento sensorimotor nel sistema nervoso centrale (CNS). I metodi più sofisticati per quantificare deficit locomotori nei roditori è di misurare i disturbi minuto di vincoli andatura overground (ad es., Il punteggio BBB manuale o passerella automatizzato). Tuttavia, input corticali non sono necessari per la generazione di locomozione base prodotta dal generatore spinale modello centrale (CPG). Così, i compiti non vincolati a piedi prova deficit locomotori da deterioramento corticale motore solo indirettamente. In questo studio, si propone un nuovo, preciso compito motorio piede posizionamento che valuta input corticali al midollo CPG. Un peg-way strumentati è stato utilizzato per imporre compiti locomotore simmetrici e asimmetrici che mimano deficit lateralizzati movimento. Dimostriamo che il trasferimento dal equidistanti lunghezze inter-falcata di 20% producono cambiamenti nelle caratteristiche di fase posizione degli arti anteriori durante la locomozione con prefsbagliato lunghezza del passo. Inoltre, proponiamo che la passerella asimmetrica consente misurazioni di risultati comportamentali prodotte da segnali di controllo corticali. Queste misure sono rilevanti ai fini della valutazione di danno dopo danno corticale.

Figura 2 mostra l&#39;analisi di asimmetria durante l&#39;attività locomotoria per un singolo soggetto rappresentativo. I valori sono stati calcolati per ogni condizione con l&#39;equazione 1 e 2 da tutti i soggetti individualmente (Figura 2) e da dati compositi di 8 femmina Sprague-Dawley (250 - 400 g, Figura 3). Generalmente, la modulazione di fase statica forelimb era minore per il lato in cui la condizione locomozione stata favorita...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion at JoVE.com

Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion

Here, we present a protocol to quantify precise stepping in rodents. Cortical and the spinal central pattern generator signals are required for precise foot-placement during obstructed locomotion. We report here the novel constrained walking task that directly examines precise stepping behavior.

Asimmetrica Passerella: A Novel comportamentale saggio per lo Studio Asymmetric Locomozione

Behavioral assays are commonly used for the assessment of sensorimotor impairment in the central nervous system (CNS). The most sophisticated methods for ...

asymmetric-walkway-novel-behavioral-assay-for-studying-asymmetric

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

8.7K Views.  West Virginia University School of Medicine. Here, we present a protocol to quantify precise stepping in rodents. Cortical and the spinal central pattern generator signals are required for precise foot-placement during obstructed locomotion. We report here the novel constrained walking task that directly examines precise stepping behavior.

Video: Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion

Behavioral Phenotyping of Murine Disease Models with the Integrated Behavioral Station (INBEST)

Due to rapid advances in genetic engineering, small rodents have become the preferred subjects in many disciplines of biomedical research. In studies of chronic CNS disorders, there is an increasing demand for murine models with high validity at the behavioral level. However, multiple pathogenic mechanisms and complex functional deficits often impose challenges to reliably measure and interpret behavior of chronically sick mice. Therefore, the assessment of peripheral pathology and a behavioral profile at several time points using a battery of tests are required. Video-tracking, behavioral spectroscopy, and remote acquisition of physiological measures are emerging technologies that allow for comprehensive, accurate, and unbiased behavioral analysis in a home-base-like setting. This report describes a refined phenotyping protocol, which includes a custom-made monitoring apparatus (Integrated Behavioral Station, INBEST) that focuses on prolonged measurements of basic functional outputs, such as spontaneous activity, food/water intake and motivated behavior in a relatively stress-free environment. Technical and conceptual improvements in INBEST design may further promote reproducibility and standardization of behavioral studies.

Behavioral Phenotyping of Murine Disease Models with the Integrated Behavioral Station INBEST

Prolonged and comprehensive monitoring of mice in a home-cage environment provides a deeper understanding of aberrant behavior in murine models of brain diseases. This paper describes the Integrated Behavioral Station (INBEST) as the key component of contemporary behavioral analysis.

Behavioral Fenotipizzazione di modelli di malattia murini con la stazione Integrated Behavioral (INBEST)

Due to rapid advances in genetic engineering, small rodents have become the preferred subjects in many disciplines of biomedical research. In studies of ...

Ricerca

Comportamento

A Procedure to Observe Context-induced Renewal of Pavlovian-conditioned Alcohol-seeking Behavior in Rats

Environmental contexts in which drugs of abuse are consumed can trigger craving, a subjective Pavlovian-conditioned response that can facilitate drug-seeking behavior and prompt relapse in abstinent drug users. We have developed a procedure to study the behavioral and neural processes that mediate the impact of context on alcohol-seeking behavior in rats. Following acclimation to the taste and pharmacological effects of 15% ethanol in the home cage, male Long-Evans rats receive Pavlovian discrimination training (PDT) in conditioning chambers. In each daily (Mon-Fri) PDT session, 16 trials each of two different 10 sec auditory conditioned stimuli occur. During one stimulus, the CS+, 0.2 ml of 15% ethanol is delivered into a fluid port for oral consumption. The second stimulus, the CS-, is not paired with ethanol. Across sessions, entries into the fluid port during the CS+ increase, whereas entries during the CS- stabilize at a lower level, indicating that a predictive association between the CS+ and ethanol is acquired. During PDT each chamber is equipped with a specific configuration of visual, olfactory and tactile contextual stimuli. Following PDT, extinction training is conducted in the same chamber that is now equipped with a different configuration of contextual stimuli. The CS+ and CS- are presented as before, but ethanol is withheld, which causes a gradual decline in port entries during the CS+. At test, rats are placed back into the PDT context and presented with the CS+ and CS- as before, but without ethanol. This manipulation triggers a robust and selective increase in the number of port entries made during the alcohol predictive CS+, with no change in responding during the CS-. This effect, referred to as context-induced renewal, illustrates the powerful capacity of contexts associated with alcohol consumption to stimulate alcohol-seeking behavior in response to Pavlovian alcohol cues.

A procedure to study the capacity of an alcohol associated environmental context to trigger the renewal of alcohol-seeking behavior in rats is described.

Una Procedura di osservare Context-indotta Rinnovo pavloviano condizionata alcol-seeking comportamento in Rats

Environmental contexts in which drugs of abuse are consumed can trigger craving, a subjective Pavlovian-conditioned response that can facilitate ...

Performing Behavioral Tasks in Subjects with Intracranial Electrodes

Patients having stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) electrode, subdural grid or depth electrode implants have a multitude of electrodes implanted in different areas of their brain for the localization of their seizure focus and eloquent areas. After implantation, the patient must remain in the hospital until the pathological area of brain is found and possibly resected. During this time, these patients offer a unique opportunity to the research community because any number of behavioral paradigms can be performed to uncover the neural correlates that guide behavior. Here we present a method for recording brain activity from intracranial implants as subjects perform a behavioral task designed to assess decision-making and reward encoding. All electrophysiological data from the intracranial electrodes are recorded during the behavioral task, allowing for the examination of the many brain areas involved in a single function at time scales relevant to behavior. Moreover, and unlike animal studies, human patients can learn a wide variety of behavioral tasks quickly, allowing for the ability to perform more than one task in the same subject or for performing controls. Despite the many advantages of this technique for understanding human brain function, there are also methodological limitations that we discuss, including environmental factors, analgesic effects, time constraints and recordings from diseased tissue. This method may be easily implemented by any institution that performs intracranial assessments; providing the opportunity to directly examine human brain function during behavior.

Patients implanted with intracranial electrodes provide a unique opportunity to record neurological data from multiple areas of the brain while the patient performs behavioral tasks. Here, we present a method of recording from implanted patients that can be reproducible at other institutions with access to this patient population.

Esecuzione di attività comportamentali in soggetti con intracraniche Elettrodi

Patients having stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) electrode, subdural grid or depth electrode implants have a multitude of electrodes implanted in ...

Combined Shuttle-Box Training with Electrophysiological Cortex Recording and Stimulation as a Tool to Study Perception and Learning

Shuttle-box avoidance learning is a well-established method in behavioral neuroscience and experimental setups were traditionally custom-made; the necessary equipment is now available by several commercial companies. This protocol provides a detailed description of a two-way shuttle-box avoidance learning paradigm in rodents (here Mongolian gerbils; Meriones unguiculatus) in combination with site-specific electrical intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) and simultaneous chronical electrophysiological in vivo recordings. The detailed protocol is applicable to study multiple aspects of learning behavior and perception in different rodent species.
Site-specific ICMS of auditory cortical circuits as conditioned stimuli here is used as a tool to test the perceptual relevance of specific afferent, efferent and intracortical connections. Distinct activation patterns can be evoked by using different stimulation electrode arrays for local, layer-dependent ICMS or distant ICMS sites. Utilizing behavioral signal detection analysis it can be determined which stimulation strategy is most effective for eliciting a behaviorally detectable and salient signal. Further, parallel multichannel-recordings using different electrode designs (surface electrodes, depth electrodes, etc.) allow for investigating neuronal observables over the time course of such learning processes. It will be discussed how changes of the behavioral design can increase the cognitive complexity (e.g. detection, discrimination, reversal learning).

Shuttle-box avoidance learning is well-established in behavioral neuroscience. This protocol describes how shuttle-box learning in rodents can be combined with site-specific electrical intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) and simultaneous chronical in vivo recordings as a tool to study multiple aspects of learning and perception.

Combinato Shuttle-Box Training con elettrofisiologiche Cortex registrazione e stimolazione come strumento per studiare percezione e apprendimento

Shuttle-box avoidance learning is a well-established method in behavioral neuroscience and experimental setups were traditionally custom-made; the ...

Novel Object Exploration as a Potential Assay for Higher Order Repetitive Behaviors in Mice

Restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and disrupt the lives of affected individuals. RRBs are commonly split into lower-order and higher-order components, with lower order RRBs consisting of motor stereotypies and higher order RRBs consisting of perseverative and sequencing behaviors. Higher order RRBs are challenging to model in mice. Current assays for RRBs in mice focus primarily on the lower order components, making basic biomedical research into potential treatments or interventions for higher-order RRBs difficult. Here we describe a new assay, novel object exploration. This assay uses a basic open-field arena with four novel objects placed around the perimeter. The test mouse is allowed to freely explore the arena and the order in which the mouse investigates the novel objects is recorded. From these data, patterned sequences of exploration can be identified, as can the most preferred object for each mouse. The representative data shared here and past results using the novel object exploration assay illustrate that inbred mouse strains do demonstrate different behavior in this assay and that strains with elevated lower order RRBs also show elevated patterned behavior. As such, the novel object exploration assay appears to possess good face validity for higher order RRBs in humans and may be a valuable assay for future studies investigating novel therapeutics for ASD.

Higher order restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs) disrupt the lives of affected individuals. These behaviors are challenging to model in rodents, making basic biomedical research into potential treatments or interventions for RRBs difficult. Here we describe novel object exploration as a potential assay for higher order RRBs in mice.

Esplorazione oggetto romanzo come un test Potenziale di ordine superiore ripetitivi comportamenti nei topi

Restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and disrupt the lives of affected individuals.  RRBs are ...

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test (rPVT): A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is a widely used procedure for measuring changes in fatigue and sustained attention. The present article describes a rodent version of the PVT&#8212;termed the &#34;rPVT&#34;&#8212;that measures similar aspects of attention (i.e., performance accuracy, motor speed, premature responding, and lapses in attention). Data are presented that demonstrate both the short- and long-term usefulness of the rPVT when employed with laboratory rats. Rats easily learn the rPVT, and learning to perform the basic procedure takes less than two weeks of training. Once acquired, rat performances in the rPVT show a high degree of similarity to these same performance measures in the human PVT, including similarities in, lapses in attention, reaction times, vigilance decrements across session time (i.e., the human &#34;time-on-task&#34; effects), and the response-stimulus interval (RSI) effect described for humans. Thus the rPVT can be an extremely valuable tool for assessing the effects of a wide range of variables on sustained attention quite similar to human PVT performances, and thus can be useful for developing novel treatments for neurobehavioral dysfunctions.

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

A rat version of the human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is described that measures aspects of attention similar to those measured with the human PVT, including aspects of human vigilance such as performance accuracy, motor speed, premature responding, and lapses in attention.

Il roditore psicomotorio vigilanza Test (rPVT): un metodo per la valutazione delle prestazioni neurocomportamentali in ratti e topi

The human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is a widely used procedure for measuring changes in fatigue and sustained attention. The present article ...

Battery of Behavioral Tests Assessing General Locomotion, Muscular Strength, and Coordination in Mice

Behavioral testing is used in pre-clinical trials to assess the phenotypic effects and outcomes that a particular disease or treatment has on the animal&#39;s wellbeing and health. There are numerous behavioral tests that may be applied. We selected a test for general locomotion, the open field test (OFT); a test for muscular strength, the mesh test (MT); and a test for coordination, the rotarod test (RR). Testing can be accomplished on a weekly or monthly basis. As a test for general locomotion, the OFT works by objectively monitoring movement parameters while the mouse is in an open field apparatus. The field is generally a 2&#39; x 2&#39; box, and the movements are recorded through laser sensing or through video capture. The mouse is placed in the center of the open field and allowed to move freely for the test. The MT uses the latency for a mouse to fall off an inverted screen as a measure of muscular strength. A mouse is placed on a screen, which is inverted over a clear box, and is timed for their latency to fall. Three trials are performed, with the best of the three trials scored for that day. A score of 60 s is the maximum time a mouse is left inverted. Mice are given a 5-min rest period between mesh test trials. Lastly, an accelerated protocol on the RR assesses motor coordination and endurance. During a trial, a mouse walks on a rotating rod as it increases in speed from 4 rpm to 40 rpm over 5 min. The trial ends when the mouse touches the magnetized pressure sensor upon falling. Each mouse undergoes three trials, and the best trial is scored for that day. This combined behavioral data allows for the global assessment of mobility, coordination, strength, and movement of the test animals. At least two out of the three behavioral testing measures must show improvement for an animal to qualify as having overall improved motor function.

Behavioral testing is used in pre-clinical trials to assess the phenotypic effects of a disease or treatment on an animal's wellbeing. In order to globally assess motor functioning, we selected tests for general locomotion, muscular strength, and coordination: the open field test, the mesh test, and the rotarod test, respectively.

Batteria di comportamentali test valutazione generale locomozione, forza muscolare e coordinazione in topi

Behavioral testing is used in pre-clinical trials to assess the phenotypic effects and outcomes that a particular disease or treatment has on the ...

A Wireless, Bidirectional Interface for In Vivo Recording and Stimulation of Neural Activity in Freely Behaving Rats

In vivo electrophysiology is a powerful technique to investigate the relationship between brain activity and behavior at a millisecond and micrometer scale. However, current methods mostly rely on tethered cable recordings or only use unidirectional systems, allowing either recording or stimulation of neural activity, but not at the same time or same target. Here, a new wireless, bidirectional device for simultaneous multichannel recording and stimulation of neural activity in freely behaving rats is described. The system operates through a single portable head stage that both transmits recorded activity and can be targeted in real-time for brain stimulation using a telemetry-based multichannel software. The head stage is equipped with a preamplifier and a rechargeable battery, allowing stable long-term recordings or stimulation for up to 1 h. Importantly, the head stage is compact, weighs 12 g (including battery) and thus has minimal impact on the animal&#180;s behavioral repertoire, making the method applicable to a broad set of behavioral tasks. Moreover, the method has the major advantage that the effect of brain stimulation on neural activity and behavior can be measured simultaneously, providing a tool to assess the causal relationships between specific brain activation patterns and behavior. This feature makes the method particularly valuable for the field of deep brain stimulation, allowing precise assessment, monitoring, and adjustment of stimulation parameters during long-term behavioral experiments. The applicability of the system has been validated using the inferior colliculus as a model structure.

A Wireless, Bidirectional Interface for In Vivo Recording and Stimulation of Neural Activity in Freely Behaving Rats

A wireless, bidirectional system for multi-channel neural recordings and stimulation in freely behaving rats is introduced. The system is light and compact, thus having minimal impact on the animal&#180;s behavioral repertoire. Moreover, this bidirectional system provides a sophisticated tool to assess causal relationships between brain activation patterns and behavior.

Una connessione Wireless, interfaccia bidirezionale per registrazione In Vivo e la stimolazione dell'attività neurale a comportarsi liberamente ratti

In vivo electrophysiology is a powerful technique to investigate the relationship between brain activity and behavior at a millisecond and micrometer ...

A Behavioral Assay for Investigating the Role of Spatial Memory During Instinctive Defense in Mice

Evolution has selected a repertoire of defensive behaviors that are essential for survival across all animal species. These behaviors are often stereotyped actions elicited in response to innately aversive sensory stimuli, but their success requires enough flexibility for adapting to different spatial environments, which can change rapidly. Here, we describe a behavioral assay to evaluate the influence of learned spatial knowledge on defensive behaviors in mice. We have adapted the widely used Barnes maze spatial memory assay to investigate how mice navigate to a shelter during escape responses to innately aversive sensory stimuli in a novel environment, and how they adapt to acute changes in the environment. This new assay is an ethological paradigm that does not require training and exploits the natural exploration patterns and navigation strategies in mice. We propose that the set of protocols described here are a powerful means of studying goal-directed behaviors and stimulus-triggered navigation, which should be of interest to both the fields of instinctive behaviors and spatial memory.

This protocol describes a behavioral assay, based on the Barnes maze test, to study how instinctive defensive actions are modified by the knowledge of spatial environment.

Un'analisi comportamentale per investigare il ruolo della memoria spaziale durante la difesa istintiva nei topi

Evolution has selected a repertoire of defensive behaviors that are essential for survival across all animal species. These behaviors are often ...

Automated, Long-term Behavioral Assay for Cognitive Functions in Multiple Genetic Models of Alzheimer's Disease, Using IntelliCage

Multiple factors&#8212;such as aging and genes&#8212;are frequently associated with cognitive decline. Genetically modified mouse models of cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD), have become a promising tool to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and promote the therapeutic advances. An important step is the validation and characterization of expected behavioral abnormality in the models, in the case of AD, cognitive decline. The long-term behavioral investigations of laboratory animals to study the effect of aging demand substantial efforts from researchers. The IntelliCage system is a high-throughput and cost-effective test battery for mice that eliminates the need for daily human handling. Here, we describe how the system is utilized in the long-term phenotyping of a genetic Alzheimer&#39;s disease model, specifically focusing on the cognitive functions. The experiment employs repeated battery of tests that assess spatial learning and executive functions. This cost-effective age-dependent phenotyping allows us to identify the transient and/or permanent effects of genes on various cognitive aspects.

This paper describes a protocol for cognitive assessments for genetic models of the Alzheimer&#39;s disease using the IntelliCage system, which is a high throughput automated behavioral monitoring system with operant conditioning.

Automatizzato, a lungo termine l'analisi comportamentale per funzioni Cognitive in più modelli di genetici del morbo di Alzheimer, utilizzando IntelliCage

Multiple factors&#8212;such as aging and genes&#8212;are frequently associated with cognitive decline. Genetically modified mouse models of cognitive ...