The Accelerating Rotating Rod Assay or Rotarod Test: A Method to Test Motor Coordination and Learning in Mice

Acclimate the subjects to their lane reservoir for 10 minutes prior to the start of the trial. During this acclimation period, prepare the rotor rod apparatus, cleaning each lane of the apparatus with 30% ethanol.

Next, open the rotor rod software. Set the start settings to 4 rpm, acceleration settings to 5 minutes, and final speed settings to 40 rpm to provide a constant acceleration from 4 to 40 rpm over a period of 5 minutes.

After acclimation period, place the subjects onto the rotarod in their respective lanes while the rod is rotating at 4 rpm. Once all the subjects are in their respective lanes, begin the first trial. Record the latency to fall using the instrument software. A secondary timer can be employed as a backup. Following the trial completion, allow each subject to rest in their respective lane reservoirs for 10 minutes prior to the next trial to prevent fatigue.