MotoRater
MotoRater is a semi-automated system for rodent kinematic gait analysis with high sensitivity to evaluate 4 different motion modalities – overground walking, skilled ladder walking, wading in water and swimming. In contrast to conventional methods, MotoRater allows testing animals in the water, which offers the exceptional opportunity to evaluate severely impaired rodent models, which would not be able to support their body weight on solid ground.
MotoRater observes the animal from 3 sides simultaneously (ventral, left, right) and provides detailed readouts of all body parts relevant to the motion, i.e. paws, ankles, joints, tail, head, hip, iliac crest, etc. – allowing reliable detection of subtle deviations, early symptom onset and treatment effects. MotoRater combines/synchronizes with external devices (EEG, EMG) and allows the implementation of other methods (e.g. Optogenetics Bouvier et al 2015, electro-myographic recordings Zörner et al 2010).
MotoRater, therefore, allows the objective phenotyping of various disease models with traits of impaired locomotor ability and detects subtle effects after genetic or pharmacological intervention. Fine motor kinematic gait analyses conducted with MotoRater (with more than 100 kinematic gait parameters) is a very sensitive way to measure motor skills with high translational value. Kinematic gait analysis in humans is done by a number of digital motion-capture cameras that record the position of light reflective markers attached to the patient’s joints. Hence, fine motor kinematic gait analyses conducted with MotoRater is the most accurate method to compare rodent gait with human conditions.
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