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Updated: Oct 7, 2026
Applying the RatWalker System for Gait Analysis in a Genetic Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease
Published on: January 18, 2021
Longitudinal characterization of biomechanical alterations in a Parkinson's disease mouse model using
Mengyao Ning1, Jinpeng Li1, Sheng Yang2
1Institute of Bionic Structures and Materials Protection, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.
Objective:
To longitudinally characterize locomotor biomechanical changes following unilateral intrastriatal α-Syn PFF inoculation in a Parkinson's disease mouse model and explore candidate the ground reaction force (GRF) based measures for their quantitative assessment.
Methods:
Based on biomechanical principles, this study analyzed the GRF of mice following α-Synuclein preformed fibril (PFF) inoculation to investigate longitudinal biomechanical indicators of changes in motor function after inoculation. A unilateral intrastriatal PFF injection mouse model was established, and a three-dimensional force sensor array was developed to measure GRF in control and PFF-injected mice at 0, 1, 3, and 6 months post-modeling. Independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression analysis were used to evaluate GRF and gait parameters.
Results:
At 0-months post-modeling, no significant differences in GRF or gait parameters were observed between the control and PFF groups. At 1-month post-inoculation, a significant difference in the maximum force-vector angle of the left hindlimb was observed, together with a separate difference in right forelimb GRF. At 3-months post-modeling, the PFF group exhibited prolonged gait-cycle and stance-phase durations, accompanied by reduced left-side GRF and pronounced bilateral asymmetry. At 6-months post-modeling, interlimb asymmetry further increased, particularly in the hindlimbs, whereas some between-group differences in gait parameters became less pronounced.
Conclusion:
Three-dimensional GRF analysis revealed time-dependent changes in locomotor biomechanics following unilateral intrastriatal PFF inoculation. Parameters including GRF magnitude, force-vector angles, gait-cycle duration, stance-phase duration, and inter-limb asymmetry serve as candidate biomechanical markers for longitudinally characterizing motor dysfunction in mouse models of Parkinson's disease, though further validation in larger animal cohorts is required.
