CatWalk XT gait parameters: a review of reported parameters in pre-clinical studies of multiple central nervous system and peripheral nervous system disease models

Timotius IK, Roelofs RF, Richmond-Hacham B, Noldus LP, von Hörsten S, Bikovski L (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Frontiers Media

Book Volume: 17

Article Number: 1147784

DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1147784

Abstract

Automated gait assessment tests are used in studies of disorders characterized by gait impairment. CatWalk XT is one of the first commercially available automated systems for analyzing the gait of rodents and is currently the most used system in peer-reviewed publications. This automated gait analysis system can generate a large number of gait parameters. However, this creates a new challenge in selecting relevant parameters that describe the changes within a particular disease model. Here, for the first time, we performed a multi-disorder review on published CatWalk XT data. We identify commonly reported CatWalk XT gait parameters derived from 91 peer-reviewed experimental studies in mice, covering six disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). The disorders modeled in mice were traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, sciatic nerve injury (SNI), spinal cord injury (SCI), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and ataxia. Our review consisted of parameter selection, clustering, categorization, statistical evaluation, and data visualization. It suggests that certain gait parameters serve as potential indicators of gait dysfunction across multiple disease models, while others are specific to particular models. The findings also suggest that the more site-specific the injury is, the fewer parameters are reported to characterize its gait abnormalities. This study strives to present a clearly organized picture of gait parameters used in each one of the different mouse models, potentially helping novel CatWalk XT users to apply this information to similar or related mouse models they are working on.

Authors with CRIS profile

Stephan von Hörsten Professur für Experimentelle Biomedizin

Involved external institutions

Satya Wacana Christian University / Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (UKSW) ID Indonesia (ID) Noldus Information Technology B.V. NL Netherlands (NL) Tel Aviv University IL Israel (IL)

How to cite

APA:

Timotius, I.K., Roelofs, R.F., Richmond-Hacham, B., Noldus, L.P., von Hörsten, S., & Bikovski, L. (2023). CatWalk XT gait parameters: a review of reported parameters in pre-clinical studies of multiple central nervous system and peripheral nervous system disease models. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 17. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1147784

MLA:

Timotius, Ivanna K., et al. "CatWalk XT gait parameters: a review of reported parameters in pre-clinical studies of multiple central nervous system and peripheral nervous system disease models." Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17 (2023).

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