Open-source platform for kinematic analysis of mouse forelimb movement.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Studying fine motor skills is crucial for understanding neurological disorders.
• Existing platforms for mouse behavioral analysis can be expensive and lack reproducibility.
• A need exists for accessible, customizable tools for motor skill research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an open-source, affordable behavioral platform for analyzing mouse fine motor skills.
• To provide a comprehensive guide for assembling the platform, training mice, and processing behavioral data.
• To facilitate reproducible research in rodent models of motor control.

Main Methods:

• Development of a behavioral apparatus using readily available and 3D-printed components.
• Implementation of a custom software pipeline for video processing and kinematic analysis of forepaw movements.
• Detailed instructions and open-access resources (schematics, code) provided via GitHub.

Main Results:

• Successful creation of an affordable and reproducible behavioral platform.
• Demonstration of a method to analyze forepaw kinematics during a reach-to-grasp task.
• Availability of all necessary components and instructions for universal replication.

Conclusions:

• The developed open-source platform significantly lowers the barrier to entry for studying fine motor skills in mice.
• This resource promotes standardized and reproducible research in motor control and related neurological studies.
• The project encourages wider adoption of advanced behavioral analysis techniques in the scientific community.