Motor Function Recovery Assessment
Objective: Evaluation of functional recovery including plantar foot placement and weight-supported stepping behavior in rats after spinal cord injury treatment with delayed transplants and neurotrophins
This is a Motor Function Recovery Assessment protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 5 procedural steps, 1 equipment items, 3 materials. Extracted from a 2001 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
rat • Not specified • unknown • Not specified • Not specified
Study window
~4 week study window
Core workflow
Spinal cord transection • Acute transplant placement • Delayed transplant placement
Primary readouts
- Plantar foot placement
- Weight-supported stepping behavior
- Axonal growth into transplant
- Regeneration from supraspinal pathways
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Spinal cord transection
Complete spinal cord transection performed at midthoracic level in adult rats
Note: Baseline injury condition for all experimental groups
View evidence from paper
“complete spinal cord transection at a midthoracic level”
Acute transplant placement
Fetal spinal cord transplants placed into lesion cavity immediately after transection
Note: One experimental condition tested
View evidence from paper
“Transplants were placed into the lesion cavity either immediately after transection (acute injury)”
Delayed transplant placement
Fetal spinal cord transplants placed into lesion cavity after 2-4 week delay following transection
Note: Alternative experimental condition that showed superior outcomes
View evidence from paper
“or after a 2–4 week delay (delayed or chronic transplants)”
Neurotrophic factor administration
Neurotrophic factors administered exogenously via implanted minipump in treatment groups
Note: Administered either acutely or with delayed transplants
View evidence from paper
“either vehicle or neurotrophic factors were administered exogenously via an implanted minipump”
Motor function assessment
Evaluation of functional recovery by observing plantar foot placement and weight-supported stepping behavior
Note: Primary outcome measure for assessing recovery
View evidence from paper
“animals exhibiting plantar foot placement and weight-supported stepping”