The “staircase test”: a measure of independent forelimb reaching and grasping abilities in rats

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-0270(91)90048-5Get rights and content

Abstract

A novel reaching test for the rat has been developed to assess the independent use of forelimbs in skilled reaching and grasping tasks. The apparatus is a plexiglas box with a removable baited double staircase. Food pellets are placed on the staircase and presented bilaterally at 7 graded stages of reaching difficulty to provide objective measures of side bias, maximum forelimb extension and grasping skill. In the present experiment, the apparatus was used to assess the reaching performance of rats following unilateral lesions of the sensorimotor cortex, unilateral lesions of the posterior cortex or bilateral lesions of the olfactory bulbs. The task has the advantage of objective over rating measurement, and the simplicity of the apparatus permits many animals to be tested concurrently.

References (22)

  • A.W. Price et al.

    Deficits in contralateral and ipsilateral forepaw motor control following unilateral motor cortical ablations

    Brain Res.

    (1981)

    • Cited by (0)

    ∗

    Present address: Cariboo College, PO Box 3010, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada V2C 5N3.

    View full text
    Copyright © 1991 Published by Elsevier B.V.