Assessing Gait by Footprint Analysis: A Method to Test Motor Coordination in Mice
Published: April 30, 2023
Abstract
Source: Sugimoto, H. and Kawakami, K. Low-cost Protocol of Footprint Analysis and Hanging Box Test for Mice Applied the Chronic Restraint Stress. J. Vis. Exp. (2019).
In this video, we describe the footprint testing procedure and related analysis to assess gait and motor coordination in mice.
Protocol
All procedures involving animal models have been reviewed by the local institutional animal care committee and the JoVE veterinary review board. 1. Footprint Analysis Set up the Runway (Figure 1A) Cut a piece of white paper (29.7 cm x 42 cm x 0.09 mm) longitudinally into three lengths of equal width. Set a piece of white paper (9.9 cm x 42 cm) on the table. Put the dark goal box at the distal e…
Representative Results
Figure 1. Footprint analysis. (A) Runway for footprint analysis. A foot-painted mouse (forelimbs: red ink; hindlimbs: black ink) was allowed to walk from the proximal end to the goal box. (B) Representative image of footprint and measurement of parameters. Three measurements of each parameter (forelimb and hindlimb stride lengths, widths…
Disclosures
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Materials
| Goal box | O’hara & Co. | http://ohara-time.co.jp/products/balanced-beam-test/ | Accessory for apparatus of balanced beam test |
| Boxes | O’hara & Co. | Side wall of runway | |
| Black ink | Shin-asahi | ||
| Red ink | Maruyamakogyo | BC-6 | |
| Disposable Petri Dish | Corning | 351008 | Petri dish (35 mm in diameter) |
| Askul Multipaper Super White J Monochrome A3 | Askul | 701-712 | White paper (29.7 cm x 42 cm x 0.09mm) |
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Cite This Article
Assessing Gait by Footprint Analysis: A Method to Test Motor Coordination in Mice. J. Vis. Exp. (Pending Publication), e20029, doi: (2023).