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Assessing motor development and function in mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Lauren Dierdorff1, Marta Garcia-Forn1, Alexa von Mueffling1
1Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; The Alper Center for Neural Development and Regeneration, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.
Motor development issues are common in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). This study details tests for assessing motor milestones and adult function in NDD mouse models to aid therapeutic development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Animal Models
Background:
- Motor development alterations are characteristic of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD).
- These motor deficits can significantly affect social interaction and communication abilities.
- Mouse models are crucial for understanding NDD pathogenesis and developing treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe methods for assessing early motor development in NDD mouse models.
- To outline techniques for evaluating adult motor function in these models.
- To provide preclinical outcome measures for therapeutic interventions in NDDs.
Main Methods:
- Detailed protocols for measuring postnatal motor developmental milestones.
- Established assays for quantifying adult motor performance and function.
- Application of these methods in various mouse models of NDDs.
Main Results:
- The described tests allow for precise tracking of motor development trajectories.
- Quantitative data on adult motor function can be reliably obtained.
- These measures serve as sensitive indicators of NDD-related functional impairments.
Conclusions:
- Standardized motor assessments are vital for NDD research.
- These methods facilitate the identification of biological mechanisms underlying NDDs.
- The described tests are valuable for preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutics for NDDs.
