A simple and reliable behavioral analysis of locomotor function after spinal cord injury in mice

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Abstract
✓ To establish a simple and reliable method to assess the behavioral function after spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice, the authors used an automated animal movement analysis system, SCANET. Two different SCI lesions were created in adult female BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice by transecting both the posterior columns and the left lateral and anterior funiculi or only the left lateral and anterior funiculi at T-8. Control mice underwent laminectomy only. The SCANET system consists of a cage equipped with two crossing sensor frames arranged at different heights, by which small (M1) and large (M2) horizontal movements and the vertical movement involved in rearing (RG) can be monitored. The authors assessed locomotor function by determining the M1, M2, and RG scores; to this end, they used the SCANET system and a previously established behavior test, the 21-point open-field Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) Locomotor Rating Scale. The results indicated that the RG scores were significantly and consistently different betwe...