This research was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Stroke Network. GAM was also supported by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

Ladder rung walking test apparatus
The horizontal ladder rung walking test apparatus consisted of side walls made of clear Plexiglas and metal rungs (3 mm diameter), which could be inserted to create a floor with a minimum distance of 1 cm between rungs (see Fig. 1; Metz and Whishaw, 2003). The side walls were 1 m long and 19 cm high measured from the height of the rungs. The ladder was elevated 30 cm above the ground with a neutral start cage and a refuge (home cage) at the end. Because animals were habituated during training, the elevation of the apparatus was unlikely to cause anxiety. The width of the alley was adjusted to the size of the animal, so that it was about 1 cm wider than an animal to prevent the animal from turning around.
The difficulty of the task was modified by varying the position of the metal rungs. A regular pattern of the rungs allowed the animals to learn the pattern over several training sessions and to anticipate the position of the rungs (Fig. 1, Pattern A). An irregular pattern that was changed from trial to trial prevented the animal from learning the pattern (Fig. 1, Pattern B). For the regular arrangement, the rungs were spaced at 2 cm intervals. For the irregular pattern, the distance of the rungs varied systematically from 1 to 5 cm. Five templates of irregular rung patterns were used, so that the same patterns were applied to all animals to standardize the difficulty of the test and enhance comparability of the outcome (see results).
Videorecording
A camera (Canovision, Canon Inc.) was positioned at a slight ventral angle, so positions of all four limbs could be recorded simultaneously. The shutter speed was set at 500 - 2000 s. The videorecordings were analyzed using frame-by-frame analysis at 30 f/sec.
Behavioral training and test analysis
The animals were trained to cross the ladder from a neutral cage to reach their home cage, so the home cage with littermates provided the positive reinforcement for walking. All animals crossed the ladder in the same direction. No further reinforcement was given to motivate the animals to cross the ladder. All animals were trained and tested five times per session.
Foot fault scoring
The qualitative evaluation of forelimb and hindlimb placement was performed using a foot fault scoring system as described earlier (Metz and Whishaw, 2003). Analysis was made by inspection of the video recordings frame-by-frame. Only consecutive steps of each limb were analyzed. Therefore, the last step before a gait interruption, such as a stop or a foot fault, and the first step after an interruption were not scored. The last stepping cycle performed at the end of the ladder was also excluded from scoring. Limb placement was scored in terms of limb placement on a rung and limb protrusion between rungs when a miss occurred.
The types of foot or paw placement on the rungs were rated using a 7-category scale (see Fig. 2). Foot or paw placement on the rung was rated according to their position and errors that occurred in placement accuracy.
(0) Total miss. 0 points were given when the limb completely missed a rung, i.e. did not touch it, and a fall occurred. A fall was defined as a limb deeply falling in-between rungs and body posture and balance were disturbed. (1) Deep slip. The limb was initially placed on a rung, then slipped off when weight-bearing and caused a fall. (2) Slight slip. The limb was placed on a rung, slipped off when weight bearing, but did not result in a fall nor interrupt the gait cycle. In this case, the animal was able to maintain balance and continue a coordinated gait. (3) Replacement. The limb was placed on a rung, but before it was weight bearing it was quickly lifted and placed on another rung. (4) Correction. The limb aimed for one rung, but was then placed on another rung without touching the first one. Alternatively, a score of 4 was recorded if a limb was placed on a rung and was quickly repositioned while remaining on the same rung. (5) Partial placement. The limb was placed on a rung with either wrist or digits of the forelimb or heel or toes of the hindlimb. (6) Correct placement. The midportion of the palm of a limb was placed on the rung with full weight support.
When different errors occurred at the same time, the lowest of the scores was recorded. For instance, if a foot was first placed on a rung and then placed on another one in the same step (score 3), and then slipped and fell in-between rungs (score 1), a score of 1 was recorded. When a fall occurred, only the limb initiating the error was rated and none of the other limbs was scored until the animal had repositioned all limbs. Error scores of five trials were averaged for analysis.
Foot placement accuracy analysis (number of errors)
The number of errors in each crossing was counted. Errors were determined based on the foot fault scoring system. An error was defined as each limb placement that received a score of 0, 1 or 2 points, i.e. an error represents any kind of foot slip or total miss. The number of errors and the number of steps was recorded for each limb separately. From these data, the mean number of errors per step was calculated and averaged for five trials. The second quantitative parameter analyzed was the average time needed to cross the entire length of the ladder task. Time measurement started after the animal was placed on the ladder and began walking the entire length of it. The time an animal spent in a stop was not included in the measurement.
Forepaw digit score
The forepaw digit score was recorded when the paw was placed correctly with its midportion on a rung (i.e. score 6 in the foot fault scoring system). The degree to which the digits of the forepaw could be flexed around a rung was rated in a three-point scale (Fig. 2). The score was applied to the position with the maximum weight support, i.e. the forelimb was positioned vertically on a rung. The scores were given as follows: (0) Digits closed in an approximate 90-degree angle. (1) Digits closed in an approximate 45 degree angle. (2) Digits completely flexed around the rung. Scores of five steps were averaged and used for analysis.
Figure legends
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/old/1204_2009_1_20_6/Fig 1 Grid.png" alt="figure 1" /> 
Fig 1. The skilled ladder rung walking test apparatus in the frontolateral view, with the specific measurements of the apparatus indicated. Two different rung patterns were used in the present study: Pattern A, regular rung arrangement, Pattern B, irregular rung arrangement. The irregular rung arrangement varied between consecutive trials.
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/old/1204_2009_1_20_7/Fig 2 (angle lines).png" alt="figure 2" />
Fig. 2. Representative photographs illustrating the three categories of the digit score. Note the angle of the digits in relation to the forelimb when in full weight support.

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We have nothing to disclose.

The present study introduces the ladder rung walking task as a new test to assess skilled walking, limb placement and limb co-ordination. The ladder rung walking task allows discrimination between subtle disturbances of motor function by combining qualitative and quantitative analysis of skilled walking. The video analysis procedure can be used for a more descriptive account of impairments, and the simple rating scale described in this paper reveals any errors in limb placement and digit flexion when grasping a rung. Qua...

the ladder rung walking task: a scoring system and its practical application.

Progress in the development of animal models for/stroke, spinal cord injury, and other neurodegenerative disease requires tests of high sensitivity to elaborate distinct aspects of motor function and to determine even subtle loss of movement capacity. To enhance efficacy and resolution of testing, tests should permit qualitative and quantitative measures of motor function and be sensitive to changes in performance during recovery periods. The present study describes a new task to assess skilled walking in the rat to measure both forelimb and hindlimb function at the same time. Animals are required to walk along a horizontal ladder on which the spacing of the rungs is variable and is periodically changed. Changes in rung spacing prevent animals from learning the absolute and relative location of the rungs and so minimize the ability of the animals to compensate for impairments through learning. In addition, changing the spacing between the rungs allows the test to be used repeatedly in long-term studies. Methods are described for both quantitative and qualitative description of both fore- and hindlimb performance, including limb placing, stepping, co-ordination. Furthermore, use of compensatory strategies is indicated by missteps or compensatory steps in response to another limb&#x2019;s misplacement. 

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Ladder Rung Walking Task: A Scoring System and its Practical Application. at JoVE.com

The Ladder Rung Walking Task: A Scoring System and its Practical Application.

The ladder rung walking task is a new test to assess skilled walking and measure both forelimb and hindlimb placing, stepping, and inter-limb co-ordination.

Progress in the development of animal models for/stroke, spinal cord injury, and other neurodegenerative disease requires tests of high sensitivity to ...

the-ladder-rung-walking-task-scoring-system-its-practical

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

25.9K Aufrufe.  University of Lethbridge. Die Leitersprosse Walking Aufgabe ist es, eine neue Prüfung zur qualifizierten Fuß beurteilen und zu messen sowohl Vorderbein und Hinterbein platzieren, Stepping, und inter-Schenkel Koordination.

Serie: The Ladder Rung Walking Task: A Scoring System and its Practical Application.

Use of Rotorod as a Method for the Qualitative Analysis of Walking in Rat

High speed videoanalysis of the details of movement can provide a source of information about qualitative aspects of walking movements. When walking on a rotorod, animals remain in approximately the same place making repetitive movements of stepping. Thus the task provides a rich source of information on the details of foot stepping movements. Subjects were hemi-Parkinson analogue rats, produced by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the right nigrostriatal bundle to deplete nigrostriatal dopamine (DA). The present report provides a video analysis illustration of animals previously were filmed from frontal, lateral, and posterior views as they walked (15). Rating scales and frame-by-frame replay of the video records of stepping behavior indicated that the hemi-Parkinson rats were chronically impaired in posture and limb use contralateral to the DA-depletion. The contralateral limbs participated less in initiating and sustaining propulsion than the ipsilateral limbs. These deficits secondary to unilateral DA-depletion show that the rotorod provides a use task for the analysis of stepping movements.

The rotorod test is used to assess motor status in the walking movement of hemi-Parkinson analogue rats.

High speed videoanalysis of the details of movement can provide a source of information about qualitative aspects of walking movements. When walking on a ...

A Novel Single Animal Motor Function Tracking System Using Simple, Readily Available Software

We have recently demonstrated that implanting intracortical microelectrodes in the motor corteces of rats&#160;results in immediate and lasting motor deficits. Motor impairments were manually quantified through an open field grid test to measure the gross motor function and through a ladder test to measure the fine motor function. Here, we discuss a technique for the automated quantification of the video-recorded tests using our custom Capadona Behavioral Video Analysis System: Grid and Ladder Test, or BVAS. Leveraging simple and readily available coding software (see the Table of Materials), this program allows for the tracking of a single animal on both the open field grid and the ladder tests. In open field grid tracking, the code thresholds the video for intensity, tracks the position of the rat over the 3 min duration of the grid test, and analyzes the path. It then computes and returns measurements for the total distance traveled, the maximum velocity achieved, the number of left- and right-handed turns, and the total number of grid lines crossed by the rat. In ladder tracking, the code again thresholds the video for intensity, tracks the movement of the rat across the ladder, and returns calculated measurements including the time it took the rat to cross the ladder, the number of paw slips occurring below the plane of the ladder rungs, and the incidence of failures due to stagnation or reversals. We envision that the BVAS developed here can be employed for the analysis of motor function in a variety of applications, including many injury or disease models.

The current study aimed to automate the quantification of motor deficits in rats. The initial evaluation model assesses motor loss resulting from an intracortical microelectrode implantation in the motor cortex. We report on the development and use of a tracking algorithm using easily adaptable, simple, and readily available coding software.

We have recently demonstrated that implanting intracortical microelectrodes in the motor corteces of rats&#160;results in immediate and lasting motor ...

Behavior

Training Persons with Spinal Cord Injury to Ambulate Using a Powered Exoskeleton

Powered exoskeletons have become available for overground ambulation in persons with paralyses due to spinal cord injury (SCI) who have intact upper extremity function and are able to maintain upright balance using forearm crutches. To ambulate in an exoskeleton, the user must acquire the ability to maintain balance while standing, sitting and appropriate weight shifting with each step. This can be a challenging task for those with deficits in sensation and proprioception in their lower extremities. This manuscript describes screening criteria and a training program developed at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY to teach users the skills needed to utilize these devices in institutional, home or community environments. Before training can begin, potential users are screened for appropriate range of motion of the hip, knee and ankle joints. Persons with SCI are at an increased risk of sustaining lower extremity fractures, even with minimal strain or trauma, therefore a bone mineral density assessment is performed to reduce the risk of fracture. Also, as part of screening, a physical examination is performed in order to identify additional health-related contraindications. 
Once the person has successfully passed all screening requirements, they are cleared to begin the training program. The device is properly adjusted to fit the user. A series of static and dynamic balance tasks are taught and performed by the user before learning to walk. The person is taught to ambulate in various environments ranging from indoor level surfaces to outdoors over uneven or changing surfaces. Once skilled enough to be a candidate for home use with the exoskeleton, the user is then required to designate a companion-walker who will train alongside them. Together, the pair must demonstrate the ability to perform various advanced tasks in order to be permitted to use the exoskeleton in their home/community environment.

Training a person with paralysis to ambulate using a powered exoskeleton may present challenges. The goals are to present the candidate selection criteria and the training procedures for exoskeletal-assisted walking and other mobility skills that can be progressed as the participant's skill level improves.

Powered exoskeletons have become available for overground ambulation in persons with paralyses due to spinal cord injury (SCI) who have intact upper ...

Bioengineering

Implementing Vestibular Disorder Screening Tests

Screening People on Standing Balance with Romberg Testing and Walking Balance with Tandem Walking

The goal of this protocol is to inform readers about the exact procedures to use to perform two screening tests for vestibular disorders: tandem walking (TW) with eyes closed, also known as heel-toe walking, and the Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance (CTSIB), which is also known as the modified Romberg. The study describes the steps for performing each test and each of the three CTSIB subtests so that the reader will be able to replicate the test conditions for use in the clinic, in the clinical laboratory, or in any other situation needing valid and reliable screening for balance skill which might be affected by changes in vestibular system function. The procedures detailed here can be easily administered and take less than 1 min per trial. References to published papers with normative data are provided. The representative results section includes examples of data collected with these screening tests.

Author Spotlight: Developing Low-Tech Balance Assessment Methods for Broad-Spectrum Healthcare Applications 

This article describes procedures for screening people for standing and walking balance impairments using two normed, rapid, low-tech balance tests.

The goal of this protocol is to inform readers about the exact procedures to use to perform two screening tests for vestibular disorders: tandem walking ...

Assessing Motor Performance in TH-Related Murine Models Using the Ladder Beam Test

A Versatile, Behavioral Method to Investigate Thyroid Hormone Effects on Cerebellar Function

Thyroid hormone (TH) action is essential during the development of the central nervous system, including the cerebellum. In case of TH deficiency in early life such as congenital hypothyroidism, patients display neurological disorders such as cognitive retardation and motor deficits. There are various studies using mouse models with tissue- or cell-specific TH deficiency to investigate the role of TH in the cerebellum. Compared to generalized congenital hypothyroid mice, cerebellar cell-specific TH-deficient mice display milder and subtler ataxic features, making the assessment of motor function difficult when using conventional tests such as the rotarod test. 
Due to the need for an alternative tool to assess motor function in TH-related animal models, we developed a versatile behavioral method called the "ladder beam test," in which we can design the various ladder tests depending on the severity of ataxia in model mice. We utilized transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative TH receptor specifically in the cerebellar Purkinje cell, a sole output neuron in the cerebellar cortex modulating motor performance. The newly-built ladder beam test successfully detected robust impairments in motor performance in the transgenic mice at a greater level compared to the rotarod test. Disruption of motor learning was also detected in the ladder beam test but not in the rotarod test. The protocol with this novel behavioral apparatus can be applied to other animal models that may show mild ataxic phenotype to examine subtle changes in cerebellar function.

Author Spotlight: Accurately Assessing Thyroid Hormone-Driven Motor Alterations in Mouse

Here we present a protocol for a versatile behavior test developed recently, the ladder beam test. This test has the advantage of detecting subtle cerebellar ataxia caused by a defect of thyroid hormone action in the central nervous system over the conventional behavior tests assessing motor performance.

Thyroid hormone (TH) action is essential during the development of the central nervous system, including the cerebellum. In case of TH deficiency in early ...

Rodent Behavioral Testing to Assess Functional Deficits Caused by Microelectrode Implantation in the Rat Motor Cortex

Medical devices implanted in the brain hold tremendous potential. As part of a Brain Machine Interface (BMI) system, intracortical microelectrodes demonstrate the ability to record action potentials from individual or small groups of neurons. Such recorded signals have successfully been used to allow patients to interface with or control&#160;computers, robotic limbs, and their own limbs. However, previous animal studies have shown that a microelectrode implantation in the brain not only damages the surrounding tissue but can also result in functional deficits. Here, we discuss a series of behavioral tests to quantify potential motor impairments following the implantation of intracortical microelectrodes into the motor cortex of a rat. The methods for open field grid, ladder crossing, and grip strength testing provide valuable information regarding the potential complications resulting from a microelectrode implantation. The results of the behavioral testing are correlated with endpoint histology, providing additional information on the pathological outcomes and impacts of this procedure on the adjacent tissue.

We have shown that a microelectrode implantation in the motor cortex of rats causes immediate and lasting motor deficits. The methods proposed herein outline a microelectrode implantation surgery and three rodent behavioral tasks to elucidate potential changes in the fine or gross motor function due to implantation-caused damage to the motor cortex.

Medical devices implanted in the brain hold tremendous potential. As part of a Brain Machine Interface (BMI) system, intracortical microelectrodes ...

A Training Program Using an Agility Ladder for Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Aging impairs physical and cognitive functions and limits daily activities. Agility training can improve or maintain physical functioning in older people. The purpose of this study is to report the physical fitness benefits of a training program for independent community-dwelling older adults using an agility ladder. Each training session lasted approximately 30 minutes, and the benefits were achieved with two sessions per week for 14 weeks. Training was timed and involved four different drills and varying levels of difficulty through time. The exercises were performed at the School of Physical Education of the University of Campinas, S&#227;o Paulo state, Brazil. The study participants (n = 16; mean age of 66.9 &#177; 5.0 years) were instructed to perform the exercises as quickly as possible without making mistakes and were assisted by a physical trainer when they made mistakes. Assessments were performed both before and after training using five functional tests (i.e., Illinois agility, five times sit-to-stand, timed up-and-go, walking usual speed, and one-leg stand). Although the study sample was not compared with a control group, the results indicate that training protocols using an agility ladder are easy and practical and improve physical function performance in older adults.

The aim of this study is to present an agility training program for older people. The feasibility of this program is described, and the training protocol demonstrated by video imaging.

Aging impairs physical and cognitive functions and limits daily activities. Agility training can improve or maintain physical functioning in older people. ...

Medicine

Motor Dual-Tasks for Gait Analysis and Evaluation in Post-Stroke Patients

Eighteen stroke patients were recruited for this study involving the evaluation of cognition and walking ability and multitask gait analysis. Multitask gait analysis consisted of a single walking task (Task 0), a simple motor dual-task (water-holding, Task 1), and a complex motor dual-task (crossing obstacles, Task 2). The task of crossing obstacles was considered to be equivalent to the combination of a simple walking task and a complex motor task as it involved more nervous system, skeletal movement, and cognitive resources. To eliminate heterogeneity in the results of the gait analysis of the stroke patients, the dual-task gait cost values were calculated for various kinematic parameters. The major differences were observed in the proximal joint angles, especially in the angles of the trunk, pelvis, and hip joints, which were significantly larger in the dual motor tasks than in the single walking task. This research protocol aims to provide a basis for the clinical diagnosis of gait function and an in-depth study of motor control in stroke patients with motor control deficits through the analyses of dual-motor walking tasks.

This paper presents a protocol specifically for dual motor task gait analysis in stroke patients with motor control deficits.

Eighteen stroke patients were recruited for this study involving the evaluation of cognition and walking ability and multitask gait analysis. Multitask ...

Neuroscience

Multifactorial Assessment of Motor Behavior in Rats after Unilateral Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury

The induction of a peripheral nerve injury is a widely used method in neuroscience for the assessment of repair and pain mechanisms among others. In addition, in the research field of movement disorders, sciatic crush injury has been employed to trigger a dystonia-like phenotype in genetically predisposed DYT-TOR1A rodent models of dystonia. To achieve consistent, reproducible and comparable results after a sciatic nerve crush injury, a standardized method for inducing the nerve crush is essential, in addition to a standardized phenotypical characterization. Attention must be paid not only to the specific assortment of behavioral tests, but also to the technical requirements, the correct execution and consecutive data analysis. This protocol describes in detail how to perform a sciatic nerve crush injury and provides a behavioral test battery for the assessment of motor deficits in rats that includes the open field test, the CatWalk XT gait analysis, the beam walking task, and the ladder rung walking task.

We provide a protocol for the assessment of motor behavior via a behavioral test battery in rats after sciatic nerve crush injury.

The induction of a peripheral nerve injury is a widely used method in neuroscience for the assessment of repair and pain mechanisms among others. In ...

Automated Assessment of Fine Motor Performance in Mice Using the Erasmus Ladder

Monitoring Fine and Associative Motor Learning in Mice Using the Erasmus Ladder

Behavior is shaped by actions, and actions necessitate motor skills such as strength, coordination, and learning. None of the behaviors essential for sustaining life would be possible without the ability to transition from one position to another. Unfortunately, motor skills can be compromised in a wide array of diseases. Therefore, investigating the mechanisms of motor functions at the cellular, molecular, and circuit levels, as well as understanding the symptoms, causes, and progression of motor disorders, is crucial for developing effective treatments. Mouse models are frequently employed for this purpose.
This article describes a protocol that allows the monitoring of various aspects of motor performance and learning in mice using an automated tool called the Erasmus Ladder. The assay involves two phases: an initial phase where mice are trained to navigate a horizontal ladder built of irregular rungs (&#34;fine motor learning&#34;), and a second phase where an obstacle is presented in the path of the moving animal. The perturbation can be unexpected (&#34;challenged motor learning&#34;) or preceded by an auditory tone (&#34;associative motor learning&#34;). The task is easy to conduct and is fully supported by automated software.
This report shows how different readouts from the test, when analyzed with sensitive statistical methods, allow fine monitoring of mouse motor skills using a small cohort of mice. We propose that the method will be highly sensitive to evaluate motor adaptations driven by environmental modifications as well as early-stage subtle motor deficits in mutant mice with compromised motor functions.

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Neural Mechanisms Through Automated Evaluation of Motor Learning and Myelin Plasticity Studies Using the Erasmus Ladder 

This article presents a protocol that allows a non-invasive and automated assessment of fine motor performance, as well as adaptive and associative motor learning upon challenges, using a device called the Erasmus Ladder. Task difficulty can be titrated to detect motor impairment ranging from major to subtle degrees.

Behavior is shaped by actions, and actions necessitate motor skills such as strength, coordination, and learning. None of the behaviors essential for ...