title: Median and ulnar nerve injuries reduce volitional forelimb strength in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) are among the leading causes of physical disability in the United States. The majority of injuries occur in the upper extremities, and functional recovery is often limited. Robust animal models are critical first steps for developing effective therapies to restore function after PNI.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed an automated behavioral assay that provides quantitative measurements of volitional forelimb strength in rats. Multiple forelimb PNI models involving the median and ulnar nerves were used to assess forelimb function for up to 13 weeks postinjury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite multiple weeks of task-oriented training following injury, rats exhibit significant reductions in multiple quantitative parameters of forelimb function, including maximal pull force and speed of force generation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that the isometric pull task is an effective method of evaluating forelimb function following PNI and may aid in development of therapeutic interventions to restore function. Muscle Nerve 56: 1149-1154, 2017.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas, 75080-3021, USA.|The University of Texas at Dallas, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, Richardson, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas, 75080-3021, USA.|The University of Texas at Dallas, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, Richardson, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Granja
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas, 75080-3021, USA.
authors.forename: Bleyda R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Solorzano
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas, 75080-3021, USA.|The University of Texas at Dallas, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, Richardson, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romero-Ortega
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas, 75080-3021, USA.|The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kilgard
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas, 75080-3021, USA.|The University of Texas at Dallas, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, Richardson, Texas, USA.|The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Rennaker
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas, 75080-3021, USA.|The University of Texas at Dallas, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, Richardson, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hays
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005552:Forelimb / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000293:injuries*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000293:injuries*
keywords: behavior; forelimb; nerve transection; peripheral nerve injury; rat; volitional strength