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Two effective behavioral tasks for evaluating sensorimotor dysfunction following traumatic brain injury in mice
Yelena K Baskin1, W Dalton Dietrich, Edward J Green
1Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33124, USA.
Journal of Neuroscience Methods
|September 3, 2003
Summary
Two sensorimotor tasks, the gridwalk and spontaneous forelimb use (SFL) tests, effectively detect behavioral dysfunction after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice, showing lasting deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Traumatic Brain Injury Research
Background:
- Sensorimotor tasks are crucial for assessing neurological function.
- Previous studies primarily used gridwalk and spontaneous forelimb use (SFL) tasks in rats for spinal cord or forebrain injuries.
- Evaluating these tasks in mouse models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of gridwalk and SFL tasks in detecting sensorimotor deficits in mice following unilateral TBI.
- To determine the duration and location-dependency of behavioral deficits.
Main Methods:
- Male C57BL/6 mice underwent unilateral controlled cortical impact (CCI) or sham procedures at anterior, middle, or posterior locations.
- Sensorimotor function was assessed using gridwalk and SFL tasks post-injury.
Main Results:
- Gridwalk task revealed significant forelimb and hindlimb deficits contralateral to the injury for up to 1 month and 3 weeks, respectively, varying by injury location.
- SFL task showed significant forelimb use asymmetry for at least 5 months post-TBI.
- Both tasks demonstrated effectiveness in identifying sensorimotor impairments.
Conclusions:
- Gridwalk and SFL tasks are effective tools for evaluating sensorimotor deficits in mouse models of unilateral TBI.
- These tasks provide valuable insights into the long-term behavioral consequences of forebrain damage.
