Assessing Gait by Footprint Analysis: A Method to Test Motor Coordination in Mice

The footprint test is performed on a flat surface covered with a white sheet of paper, like a runway, ending in a dark gold box and an escape hole. The runway is restricted on each side to prevent subjects from leaving the test area.

A mouse will avoid the bright setting by walking across the runway to enter the escape hole. After the mouse has learned to perform the task, paint its front paws in red and its back paws in black with non-toxic paints. As the mouse walks on the white paper, it will now leave color-labeled footprints.

To describe the animal's gait and motor coordination, measure the distance of the fore- and hindlimbs' stride length, fore- and hindlimb base width, as well as the distance of their overlap.

When all of the mice have been tested, place a 9.9 by 42 centimeter piece of white paper onto the lab bench and place a dark goal box at the distal end of the paper. Place other boxes approximately the same length as the paper on both sides of the runway to prevent escape and add black and red ink to separate 35-millimeter Petri dishes. To train the mice for the analysis, place a mouse at the proximal end of the paper facing the goal box and let the mouse walk from th