Automated Gait Analysis Following Spinal Cord Injury

Successful animal models of spinal cord injury (SCI) are dependent on outcome measures sensitive to minute functional differences following injury. Computer-assisted gait analyses provide an objective measurement of numerous gait characteristics, including but not limited to velocity, stance time, swing time, stride length, hindlimb base of support (track width), and toe spread. Using the TreadScan^� software system (CleverSys, Inc., Reston, VA), animals can be filmed ventrally as they traverse a clear treadmill-driven belt at a controlled speed, and gait characteristics are automatically calculated by the software. This chapter details the training and use of this sensitive software system as well as the type and scope of data experimenters can expect when analyzing SCI rodents.