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Updated: Dec 27, 2025
Assessing the Autonomic and Behavioral Effects of Passive Motion in Rats using Elevator Vertical Motion and Ferris-Wheel Rotation
Published on: February 7, 2020
Assessing the Autonomic and Behavioral Effects of Passive Motion in Rats using Elevator Vertical Motion and
Francis A M Manno1, Leilei Pan2, Yuqi Mao2
1School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney; Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong.
Abstract:
The overall goal of this study is to assess the autonomic and behavioral effects of passive motion in rodents using the elevator vertical motion and Ferris-wheel rotation devices. These assays can help confirm the integrity and normal functioning of the autonomic nervous system. They are coupled to quantitative measures based on defecation counting, open-field examination, and balance beam crossing. The advantages of these assays are their simplicity, reproducibility, and quantitative behavioral measures. The limitations of these assays are that the autonomic reactions could be epiphenomena of non-vestibular disorders and that a functioning vestibular system is required. Examination of disorders such as motion sickness will be greatly aided by the detailed procedures of these assays.
