title: A simple, efficient tool for assessment of mice after unilateral cortex injury.
abstract: A refined battery of neurological tests, SNAP (Simple Neuroassessment of Asymmetric Impairment), was developed and validated to efficiently assess neurological deficits induced in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury. Four to 7-month old mice were subjected to unilateral controlled cortical impact or sham injury (craniectomy only). Several behavioral tests (SNAP, beam walk, foot fault, and water maze) were used to assess functional deficits. SNAP was unique among these in that it required no expensive equipment and was performed in less than 5 min per mouse. SNAP demonstrated a high level of sensitivity and specificity as determined by receiver-operator characteristics curve analysis. Interrater reliability was good, as determined by Cohen's Kappa method and by comparing the sensitivity and specificity across various raters. SNAP detected deficits in proprioception, visual fields, and motor strength in brain-injured mice at 3 days, and was sensitive enough to detect magnitude and recovery of injury. The contribution of individual battery components changed as a function of time after injury, however, each was important to the overall SNAP score. SNAP provided a sensitive, reliable, time-efficient and cost-effective means of assessing neurological deficits in mice after unilateral brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Research, University of Cincinnati, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Medical Science Building, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0515, United States. sheltosb@uc.edu
authors.forename: Shirley B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Shelton
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Pettigrew
authors.forename: Alison D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Crutcher
authors.forename: Kenneth I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Strauss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D005838:Genotype; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D015588:Observer Variation; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014743:Videotape Recording