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The Stairway: A Novel Behavioral Test Detecting Sensomotoric Stroke Deficits in Rats
Author(s) -
Boltze Johannes,
Kowalski Ina,
Förschler Annette,
Schmidt Uwe,
Wagner Daniel,
Lobsien Donald,
Emmrich Julius,
Egger Dietmar,
Kamprad Manja,
Blunk James,
Emmrich Frank
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1594.2006.00297.x
Subject(s) - stroke (engine) , medicine , transplantation , magnetic resonance imaging , physical medicine and rehabilitation , surgery , radiology , mechanical engineering , engineering
New therapeutic concepts of cell and tissue replacement therapies have been introduced in treatment of neurological disorders which require robust and sensitive sensomotoric behavioral diagnostic test systems for experimental research. However, most test arrays available are either expensive and/or sensitive to environmental disturbances. Moreover, an extensive training phase for experimental animals is often required by conventional tests to get reproducible data. In this study, we describe a new test array, the Stairway, that is robust, cost‐effective, and needs only a minimum training phase. Its efficiency is evaluated in comparison to the well‐established RotaRod and modified neurological severity score. Stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. Human umbilical cord blood transplantation ( n = 18) was performed 24 h after stroke by intravenous injection of suspended cells in comparison to control injections ( n = 18), while behavioral assessment was carried out continuously for 29 days. Furthermore, development of lesions was monitored by magnetic resonance imaging. The results reveal the Stairway test as a simple, highly reproducible, and easy manageable test system thus reflecting therapeutic benefits precisely.