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Behavioral Assessment of the Aging Mouse Vestibular System

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Published on: July 11, 2014

An observational assessment method for aging laboratory rats.

Pamela M Phillips¹, Kimberly A Jarema, David M Kurtz

¹Neurotoxicology Branch, Toxicity Assessment Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.

Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS

|January 6, 2011

Summary

A new observational method efficiently monitors aging rat health. This tool tracks appearance, posture, mobility, and muscle tone, aiding research into aging and disease susceptibility in laboratory animals.

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Area of Science:

Gerontology
Animal Science
Toxicology

Background:

The aging human population necessitates robust animal models for studying aging processes.
Efficient health monitoring methods are crucial for large research colonies of aging animals.
Current methods may not adequately track age-related health changes in research animals.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a rapid observational assessment method for monitoring the health of aging laboratory rats.
To evaluate the utility of this method in tracking age-related health deterioration and survival in Brown Norway rats.
To provide a tool for researchers studying aging, disease susceptibility, and toxicant effects in aged animal models.

Main Methods:

An observational assessment scoring appearance, posture, mobility, and muscle tone on a 5-point scale (1=no deterioration, 5=severe deterioration).

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Application of the assessment method to male Brown Norway rats aged 12–36 months (n=32).

Concurrent data collection on body weight, mortality, and survival in relation to age and environmental chemical exposure.

Main Results:

Aging-related deterioration signs were not observed before 18 months of age.
Assessment scores and variability increased with age, indicating progressive health decline.
Body weight peaked around 24 months, declined after 31 months, and mortality increased sharply after 28 months, with a median survival of approximately 30 months.

Conclusions:

The observational assessment method provides an efficient means to monitor the health status of aging rats.
This method can aid in understanding age-related changes and susceptibility to diseases, drugs, and toxicants.
The findings support the use of this tool in gerontological research and toxicological studies involving aged animal models.