The Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) is a peer reviewed, PubMed-indexed video journal. Our mission is to increase the productivity of scientific research.
Authors
The Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) is a peer reviewed, PubMed-indexed video journal. Our mission is to increase the productivity of scientific research.
Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge
This article is a part of JoVE General. If you think this article would be useful for your research, please recommend JoVE to your institution's librarian.
Recommend JoVE to Your LibrarianCurrent Access Through Your IP Address
You do not have access to any JoVE content through your current IP address.
IP: 23.22.76.170, User IP: 23.22.76.170, User IP Hex: 387337386
Current Access Through Your Registered Email Address
You aren't signed into JoVE. If your institution subscribes to JoVE, please sign in or create an account with your institutional email address to access this content.
Whishaw, I. Q., Whishaw, P., Gorny, B. The Structure of Skilled Forelimb Reaching in the Rat: A Movement Rating Scale. J. Vis. Exp. (18), e816, doi:10.3791/816 (2008).
Skilled reaching for food is an evolutionary ancient act and is displayed by many animal species, including those in the sister clades of rodents and primates. The video describes a test situation that allows filming of repeated acts of reaching for food by the rat that has been mildly food deprived. A rat is trained to reach through a slot in a holding box for food pellet that it grasps and then places in its mouth for eating. Reaching is accomplished in the main by proximally driven movements of the limb but distal limb movements are used for pronating the paw, grasping the food, and releasing the food into the mouth. Each reach is divided into at least 10 movements of the forelimb and the reaching act is facilitated by postural adjustments. Each of the movements is described and examples of the movements are given from a number of viewing perspectives. By rating each movement element on a 3-point scale, the reach can be quantified. A number of studies have demonstrated that the movement elements are altered by motor system damage, including damage to the motor cortex, basal ganglia, brainstem, and spinal cord. The movements are also altered in neurological conditions that can be modeled in the rat, including Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Thus, the rating scale is useful for quantifying motor impairments and the effectiveness of neural restoration and rehabilitation. Because the reaching act for the rat is very similar to that displayed by humans and nonhuman primates, the scale can be used for comparative purposes. from a number of viewing perspectives. By rating each movement element on a 3-point scale, the reach can be quantified. A number of studies have demonstrated that the movement elements are altered by motor system damage, including damage to the motor cortex, basal ganglia, brainstem, and spinal cord. The movements are also altered in neurological conditions that can be modeled in the rat, including Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Thus, the rating scale is useful for quantifying motor impairments and the effectiveness of neural restoration and rehabilitation.
Experiments on animals were performed in accordance with the guidelines and regulations set forth by the University of Lethbridge Animal Care Committee in accordance with the regulations of the Canadian Council on Animal Care.
The experiment involves training rats to reach for food and then filming the movements used for reaching.
Subscription Required. Please recommend JoVE to your librarian.
Previous studies of limb use in the rat have characterized the movement in terms of end points, success or failure, or in terms of a Cartesian trajectory of the paw toward the target. The present study describes the movement in terms of relations between limb segments, other body parts and the target.
Subscription Required. Please recommend JoVE to your librarian.
Research supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
1. Whishaw, I.Q., Pellis, S.M. The structure of skilled forelimb reaching in the rat. Bev. Br. Res. 41, 49-59 (1990)
2. Whishaw, I.Q., Kolb, B. The behavior of the laboratory rat. Oxford Univ. Press 162-170 (2005)
Hello, I`m a Ph.D course student of KAIST, Korea Advance institute of Science and Technology.
I was finding a motor behavior test which can be used for detecting a defect in higher motor system.
Now I`m sure that the skilled behavior test you`ve introduced is the most proper test for me.
And I have a question about this test.
I want to run this experiment with mice.
What food pellet can be used for mice?
Would you like to tell me the catalog Number of the food pellet you`ve used in this study?
If you recommend the product name of food pellet for this test in mice, or if you tell me any comments for doing this test, it would be very happy to me.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
1
ReplyPosted by: Young Gyun P.April 28, 2009, 11:42 AM