Elevated body swing test in rats
Veerle Baekelandt, María Sanchiz Calvo, Eduard Bentea
Abstract
Protocol for performing the elevated body swing test in rats. The elevated body swing evaluates motor asymmetry in body swings when the rat is briefly hanged by the tail, and can be used in animal models with unilateral lesions of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway.
Steps
Test
Bring cages to the behavioral room for at least 1h 0m 0s prior to the test for habituation
Place rat individually in a new cage
Wait until attains neutral position with all four limbs touching the bottom of the cage
Lift vertically by the base of the tail
Record the first direction of body deviation away from the vertical axis of 30 degree during a maximum 0h 0m 5s interval
Repeat the test five times, with a brief rest in between
