Semiquantitative assessment of hindlimb movement recovery without intervention in adult paraplegic mice.
METHODS
Experimental laboratory investigation of hindlimb movement recovery in chronic paraplegic mice.


OBJECTIVE
Development of an assessment method to discriminatively quantify motor and locomotor-like movements of paraplegic mice.


METHODS
Laval University Medical Center, Quebec, Canada.


METHODS
Signs of 'functional recovery' were examined in open-field condition during 1 month in adult mice with a complete spinal cord transection at the low-thoracic level.


RESULTS
None of the mice exhibited hindlimb movements after spinalization. At 7 days, 33% of them displayed weak nonbilaterally alternating movements (NBA). At 14 days, increased NBA were observed and the first bilaterally alternating movements (BA) in 10% of the mice. A progressive increase of movement frequency and amplitude was found after 2-3 weeks. By the end of the month, 86% displayed mixed NBA and BA. However, none of them recovered the ability to stand or bear their own weight with the hindlimbs.


CONCLUSIONS
This study reports signs of partial hindlimb movement recovery in chronic paraplegic mice and provides evidence of plasticity in sublesional circuits of neurons occurring in the absence of inputs from the brain, locomotor training or pharmacological treatment. This assessment method can be used to characterize hindlimb movements in complete spinal cord transected mice tested in open-field condition.
Guertin
P A
PA
Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Research Centre of the Laval University Medical Center, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
D000818:Animals; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009068:Movement; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis