Methods for evaluating gait associated dynamic balance and coordination in rodents

Modi, Akshat D.; Parekh, Anavi; Patel, Zeenal H.

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114695

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 125 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Investigating motor function through animal models is essential to understand brain function in health and disease and to develop potential therapeutic strategies (1). In this context, behavioral tests such as the beam walk provide an invaluable, controlled and quantifiable way to evaluate coordination and balance in rodents, and also humans (4,21,23). However, classical endpoints used in the rodent beam walk, including the number of foot slips and time taken to cross the beam, do not fully capture the repertoire of behaviors observed during the task.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Eventually, all tests for motor behavior have advantages and limitations, and it is typically recommended that a battery of measures appropriate for a particular study are deployed (14,23).…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the beam walk, rodents are required to traverse a suspended narrow beam to reach a goal area (1,4,23). The length, shape, diameter, material and angle of the beam can be varied in order to change the complexity of the task, and reveal deficits in coordination and balance that may otherwise not be evident from kinematic observations made on a flat walking surface (24).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The popularity of the test likely resides in the fact that it is simple to set-up, is inexpensive, and can be performed after limited training and with minimal expertise of the experimenter (4). The two primary endpoints typically reported in the beam walk are ‘the number of foot slips of the hind paw’, and ‘the time to cross the beam’ (1,4,18,23,25). Additional measures such as number of falls or total distance traveled on the beam may also be reported, but are typically only changed in models with more severe phenotypes (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Forestwalk: A machine learning workflow brings new insights into posture and balance in rodent beam walking

Tozzi,

Zhang,

Narayanan

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The beam walk is widely used to study coordination and balance in rodents. While the task has ethological validity, the main endpoints of foot slip counts and time to cross are prone to human-rater variability and offer limited sensitivity and specificity. We asked if machine learning-based methods could reveal previously hidden, but biologically relevant, insights from the task. Marker-less pose estimation, using DeepLabCut, was deployed to label 13 anatomical points on mice traversing the beam. Next, we automated classical endpoint detection, including foot slips, with high recall (>90%) and precision (>80%). A total of 395 features were engineered and a random-forest classifier deployed that, together with skeletal visualizations, could test for group differences and identify determinant features. This workflow, named Forestwalk, uncovered pharmacological treatment effects in C57BL/6J mice, revealed phenotypes in transgenic mice used to study Angelman syndrome and SLC6A1-related neurodevelopmental disorder, and will facilitate a deeper understanding of how the brain controls balance in health and disease.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Forestwalk: A machine learning workflow brings new insights into posture and balance in rodent beam walking

Tozzi,

Zhang,

Narayanan

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

TMC7 functions as a suppressor of Piezo2 in primary sensory neurons blunting peripheral mechanotransduction

Zhang,

Shao,

Wang

et al. 2024

Cell Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mice tails function in response to external and self-generated balance perturbation on the roll plane

Lacava,

Isilak,

Uusisaari

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The functionality of mouse tails has been unexplored in the scientific literature, to the extent that they might seem to be considered as a passive appendage. Previous research on mouse locomotion has largely omitted tail dynamics, but hints at its potential use in balancing can be seen in the natural habitats and behaviors of these rodents. Here, leveraging high-speed videography, a novel naturalistic locomotory task and a simple biomechanical model analysis, we investigated the behavioral utility of the mouse tail. We observed that mice engage their tails on narrow ridge environments that mimic tree branches with narrow footholds prone to roll-plane perturbations, using different control strategies under two defined conditions: during external perturbations of the ridge where they primarily work to maintain posture and avoid falling, and during non-perturbated locomotion on the ridge, where the challenge is to dynamically control the center of mass while progressing forward. These results not only advance the existing understanding of mouse tail functionality but also open avenues for more nuanced explorations in neurobiology and biomechanics. Furthermore, we call for inclusions of tail dynamics for a holistic understanding of mammalian locomotor strategies.

show abstract

Methods for evaluating gait associated dynamic balance and coordination in rodents

Cited by 3 publications

References 125 publications

Forestwalk: A machine learning workflow brings new insights into posture and balance in rodent beam walking

Forestwalk: A machine learning workflow brings new insights into posture and balance in rodent beam walking

TMC7 functions as a suppressor of Piezo2 in primary sensory neurons blunting peripheral mechanotransduction

Mice tails function in response to external and self-generated balance perturbation on the roll plane

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About