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Paw Preference in Rats Across Tests, Strains, Sex, and Age: A PRISMA-Compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Dipesh Pokharel^1,2,3, Caroline C Swain^1,2,3, Dilshan H Beligala⁴

¹Department of Neurosciences and Psychiatry, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology

|February 23, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Rats show consistent individual paw preference, demonstrating robust lateralization. However, population-level studies reveal no universal directional bias, unlike humans, highlighting the need for standardized testing in lateralization research.

Keywords:

Paw preference Sprague Dawley rat (SD)asymmetry lateralization limb dominance translational neuroscience

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Comparative Psychology
Behavioral Genetics

Background:

Paw preference in rats is a common model for studying hemispheric lateralization.
Previous studies often suffer from underpowering and inconsistent methodologies, leading to conflicting results.
A comprehensive understanding of paw preference requires systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine if rats exhibit consistent paw preference at individual and population levels.
To evaluate the influence of behavioral test type, strain, sex, and age on paw preference.
To provide a robust estimate of paw preference prevalence and lateralization in rats.

Main Methods:

A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published between 1930 and 2025.
Inclusion of 40 studies encompassing 1,609 rats.
Random-effects models were employed for pooled prevalence estimation, with subgroup analyses for key variables.

Main Results:

84% of individual rats displayed consistent paw preference, confirming robust individual-level lateralization.
No universal directional bias was found at the population level: 48% right paw use, 39% left paw use.
Strain and test type showed modest effects; Sprague Dawley rats tended towards balanced use, while other strains showed slight rightward bias.

Conclusions:

Rats exhibit reliable individual paw preference but lack species-wide directional asymmetry, differentiating them from humans.
Standardized testing protocols and balanced cohort designs are crucial for enhancing reproducibility and translational relevance in lateralization research.
Findings underscore the importance of considering methodological variations in interpreting paw preference studies.