Motor coordination and balance assessed by the rotarod test in 7 inbred founder strains of the Collaborative Cross (2020)
German Mouse Clinic and Department of Infection Genetics, HZI
With: Hrabě de Angelis M, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Becker L, Klopstock T, Lengger C, Kollmus H, Schughart K
Accelerating rotarod: Bioseb (Rota-Rod/RS LE8200), FRANCE
Rod: 5 cm diameter, made of hard plastic material, covered by grey rubber foam
Lane width: 5 cm
Stop watch
Balance: Ohaus (AV213C)
Reagents
and
solutions
Cleaning solution: 50% ethanol
Procedure: Rotarod
Mice are acclimated to the testing room for at least 15 min.
Three to five mice are measured concurrently on the rod with a divider between the respective lanes.
Each mouse is subjected to three trials separated by 15 min inter-trial intervals (ITI).
The apparatus is set to accelerating mode from 4 to 40 rpm in 5 min.
Mice are positioned in their respective lanes, with mice walking forward on the rod at 4 rpm.
The start button is pressed so that the rotarod increases in speed over time.
The latency at which each mouse falls off the rod is recorded.
If a mouse clinging on the rod completes a full passive rotation, the timer is stopped for that mouse by pushing down the lever and latency recorded as such. In this case, passive rotation is considered a failure in performance, like falling. Make note of passive falling.
Data
collected
by
investigator
Latency to fall from accelerating rotarod (3 trials, mean of all trials)