title: Calibration of rotational acceleration for the rotarod test of rodent motor coordination.
abstract: The latency of mice and rats to fall from the accelerating rotarod can differ markedly between laboratories using the same brand of rod as well as between studies using different kinds of rods. These discrepancies can arise from different rod diameters, surface textures, test protocols, or laboratory environmental factors beyond the test itself, but it is also possible that the actual acceleration rates of the different rods do not correspond to the nominal rates set on the devices. This paper describes a simple method to measure acceleration rate of the rotarod and to set the rate to a desired value for any brand of rod.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bohlen
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Metten
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Crabbe
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wahlsten
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000818:Animals; D001331:Automation; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D002138:Calibration; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012016:Reference Values; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test / Q000379:methods*; D012399:Rotation; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods