Adaptation of the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan locomotor rating scale for use in a clinical model of spinal cord injury in dogs

Abstract

Background Naturally occurring acute spinal cord injury (SCI) in pet dogs provides an important clinical animal model through which to confirm and extend findings from rodent studies; however, validated quantitative outcome measures for dogs are limited. New method We adapted the Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) scale for use in a clinical dog model of acute thoracolumbar SCI. Based on observation of normal dogs, modifications were made to account for species differences in locomotion. Assessments of paw and tail position, and trunk stability were modified to produce a 19 point scale suitable for use in dogs, termed the canine BBB scale (cBBB). Pet dogs with naturally occurring acute SCI were assigned cBBB scores at 3, 10 and 30 days after laminectomy. Results Scores assigned via the cBBB were stable across testing sessions in normal dogs but increased significantly between days 3 and 30 in SCI-affected dogs (p = 0.0003). The scale was highly responsive to changes in locomotor recovery over a 30 day period, with a standardized response mean of 1.34. Comparison with existing methods Concurrent validity was good, with strong correlations observed between the cBBB and two other locomotor scales, the OSCIS (r = 0.94; p < 0.001) and the MFS (r = 0.85; p < 0.0001). cBBB scores inversely correlated with other assessments of recovery including mechanical sensory threshold (r = −0.68; p < 0.0001) and coefficient of variation of stride length (r = −0.49; p < 0.0001). Conclusions These results support the use of the cBBB to assess locomotor recovery in canine clinical translational models of SCI.

Development of a Simple Method to Measure Static Body Weight Distribution in Neurologically Normal Small Breed Dogs

“…3 There are a number of evaluation methods currently available to monitor changes in gait. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Several of these gait scales have been shown to be reliable across raters with broad experience levels. 24 A battery of neurologic function tests that broadly assesses motor function called the FINFUN was also recently developed and validated in a group of dogs recovering from SCI.…”

“…Multiple gait analysis tools have been developed in dogs, ranging from ordinal, open field scales to force platforms and PSW. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] These techniques allow objective assessment of dynamic weight distribution and alterations from normal gait patterns, but can be difficult to apply in non-ambulatory dogs and variably require specialized equipment or training to perform successfully. 11,[15][16][17][18][19][20] Recently, a functional testing battery was validated to evaluate motor function in dogs recovering from SCI.…”

Modulation of inflammatory factors predicts the outcome following spinal cord injury

“…At present, spinal cord injury in rats is the most commonly used model in animal experiments of SCI, and the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score is the most commonly used behavioral index to evaluate the recovery of lower limb motor function after SCI,which is also the most widely used evaluation standard of lower limb motor function in the world [18,19]. The BBB locomotor rating scale is a 21-point scale, which was originally used in SCI rat models, it has high sensitivity, good test-retest reliability and strong validity [19,20].…”

Development of the Finnish neurological function testing battery for dogs and its intra- and inter-rater reliability

“…Validated outcome measures are consistently used in the experimental setting to quantify the progress in the animal’s locomotor function [ 15 , 16 ], but implementing them in clinical practice is not straightforward [ 17 ]. In small animal clinical practice, the veterinary modifications of the human Frankel score for spinal cord injury are frequently used for injury classification and outcome determination, but it does not quantify walking [ 18 – 21 ].…”

“…The Texas Spinal Cord Injury Score (TSCIS) was created to provide reliable measurements for location and degree of injury as well as to determine outcome in dogs with spinal cord injury [ 21 ], but it is limited by the functional evaluation of the ability to walk [ 21 ]. Previous studies present useful validated methods to quantify both the ability to walk and the quality of walking [ 17 , 22 – 24 ], but these scales do not include any other components of the dog’s functional ability.…”