Biomaterial Database

A straight alley version of the BBB locomotor scale. 2009

Jamie K Wong, and Kelli Sharp, and Oswald Steward

Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.

We describe here an alternative procedure for assessing hindlimb locomotor function after spinal cord injury that uses the BBB scale, but tests animals in a reward-baited straight alley rather than an open field. Rats were trained to ambulate in a straight alley and habituated to the open field typically used for BBB open field testing. Three groups of rats were tested. Sprague-Dawley rats received either 200 kD (n=19) or 300 kD contusions (n=9) at T9 with the Infinite Horizon device. Fisher rats (n=8) received moderate contusions (12.5 mm) at T8 with the NYU impactor. BBB scores were assessed at different post-injury intervals in the open field and the straight alley, and scores were compared by correlation analyses. BBB scores in the open field vs. the straight alley were highly correlated (r=0.90), validating the use of the straight alley for locomotor assessment. Rats exhibited a larger number of bouts of continuous steps in the straight alley vs. the open field (termed passes), providing more opportunities to score hindlimb use and coordination over the 4 min testing interval. Comparisons of scores across days revealed higher day-to-day correlations in the straight alley vs. the open field (r(2) values of 0.90 and 0.74 for the straight alley and open field respectively), revealing that the straight alley yielded more reliable scores.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009416	Nerve Regeneration	Renewal or physiological repair of damaged nerve tissue.	Nerve Tissue Regeneration,Nervous Tissue Regeneration,Neural Tissue Regeneration,Nerve Tissue Regenerations,Nervous Tissue Regenerations,Neural Tissue Regenerations,Regeneration, Nerve,Regeneration, Nerve Tissue,Regeneration, Nervous Tissue,Regeneration, Neural Tissue,Tissue Regeneration, Nerve,Tissue Regeneration, Nervous,Tissue Regeneration, Neural
D009473	Neuronal Plasticity	The capacity of the NERVOUS SYSTEM to change its reactivity as the result of successive activations.	Brain Plasticity,Plasticity, Neuronal,Axon Pruning,Axonal Pruning,Dendrite Arborization,Dendrite Pruning,Dendritic Arborization,Dendritic Pruning,Dendritic Remodeling,Neural Plasticity,Neurite Pruning,Neuronal Arborization,Neuronal Network Remodeling,Neuronal Pruning,Neuronal Remodeling,Neuroplasticity,Synaptic Plasticity,Synaptic Pruning,Arborization, Dendrite,Arborization, Dendritic,Arborization, Neuronal,Arborizations, Dendrite,Arborizations, Dendritic,Arborizations, Neuronal,Axon Prunings,Axonal Prunings,Brain Plasticities,Dendrite Arborizations,Dendrite Prunings,Dendritic Arborizations,Dendritic Prunings,Dendritic Remodelings,Network Remodeling, Neuronal,Network Remodelings, Neuronal,Neural Plasticities,Neurite Prunings,Neuronal Arborizations,Neuronal Network Remodelings,Neuronal Plasticities,Neuronal Prunings,Neuronal Remodelings,Neuroplasticities,Plasticities, Brain,Plasticities, Neural,Plasticities, Neuronal,Plasticities, Synaptic,Plasticity, Brain,Plasticity, Neural,Plasticity, Synaptic,Pruning, Axon,Pruning, Axonal,Pruning, Dendrite,Pruning, Dendritic,Pruning, Neurite,Pruning, Neuronal,Pruning, Synaptic,Prunings, Axon,Prunings, Axonal,Prunings, Dendrite,Prunings, Dendritic,Prunings, Neurite,Prunings, Neuronal,Prunings, Synaptic,Remodeling, Dendritic,Remodeling, Neuronal,Remodeling, Neuronal Network,Remodelings, Dendritic,Remodelings, Neuronal,Remodelings, Neuronal Network,Synaptic Plasticities,Synaptic Prunings
D010243	Paralysis	A general term most often used to describe severe or complete loss of muscle strength due to motor system disease from the level of the cerebral cortex to the muscle fiber. This term may also occasionally refer to a loss of sensory function. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p45)	Palsy,Plegia,Todd Paralysis,Todd's Paralysis,Palsies,Paralyses,Paralysis, Todd,Paralysis, Todd's,Plegias,Todds Paralysis
D010291	Paresis	A general term referring to a mild to moderate degree of muscular weakness, occasionally used as a synonym for PARALYSIS (severe or complete loss of motor function). In the older literature, paresis often referred specifically to paretic neurosyphilis (see NEUROSYPHILIS). "General paresis" and "general paralysis" may still carry that connotation. Bilateral lower extremity paresis is referred to as PARAPARESIS.	Hemiparesis,Muscle Paresis,Brachial Paresis,Crural Paresis,Lower Extremity Paresis,Monoparesis,Muscular Paresis,Upper Extremity Paresis,Brachial Pareses,Crural Pareses,Extremity Pareses, Lower,Extremity Pareses, Upper,Extremity Paresis, Lower,Extremity Paresis, Upper,Hemipareses,Lower Extremity Pareses,Monopareses,Muscle Pareses,Muscular Pareses,Pareses,Pareses, Brachial,Pareses, Crural,Pareses, Lower Extremity,Pareses, Muscle,Pareses, Muscular,Pareses, Upper Extremity,Paresis, Brachial,Paresis, Crural,Paresis, Lower Extremity,Paresis, Muscle,Paresis, Muscular,Paresis, Upper Extremity,Upper Extremity Pareses
D011916	Rats, Inbred F344	An inbred strain of rat that is used for general BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH purposes.	Fischer Rats,Rats, Inbred CDF,Rats, Inbred Fischer 344,Rats, F344,Rats, Inbred Fisher 344,CDF Rat, Inbred,CDF Rats, Inbred,F344 Rat,F344 Rat, Inbred,F344 Rats,F344 Rats, Inbred,Inbred CDF Rat,Inbred CDF Rats,Inbred F344 Rat,Inbred F344 Rats,Rat, F344,Rat, Inbred CDF,Rat, Inbred F344,Rats, Fischer
D004185	Disability Evaluation	Determination of the degree of a physical, mental, or emotional handicap. The diagnosis is applied to legal qualification for benefits and income under disability insurance and to eligibility for Social Security and workmen's compensation benefits.	Disability Evaluations,Evaluation, Disability,Evaluations, Disability
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D004779	Environment Design	The structuring of the environment to permit or promote specific patterns of behavior.	Design, Environment,Healthy Places,Designs, Environment,Environment Designs,Healthy Place
D005260	Female		Females
D006614	Hindlimb	Either of two extremities of four-footed non-primate land animals. It usually consists of a FEMUR; TIBIA; and FIBULA; tarsals; METATARSALS; and TOES. (From Storer et al., General Zoology, 6th ed, p73)	Hindlimbs