Rotarod Apparatus

What is a Rotarod?

"The rotarod test is a behavioral assessment that utilizes a rotating rod to evaluate motor function in rodents. The test gauges important factors, including balance duration (in seconds) and sustained performance. The primary objectives of the test apparatus are to evaluate balance, grip strength, and motor coordination in subjects, particularly in the context of experimental drug trials and post-traumatic brain injury assessments in pharmacological studies."

 

How Does Rotarod work?

In this assessment, a rodent is positioned on a horizontally mounted, rotating cylinder suspended above a floor that is safely distanced, low enough to prevent injury, yet high enough to encourage avoidance of falls. The animal's innate desire to remain on the rotarod drives its efforts to maintain balance, coordination, and motor control. The duration of the rodent's successful navigation of the rotating surface serves as a measure of its balance, coordination, physical condition, and cognitive motor skills. The rotarod's speed is mechanically controlled, allowing for either constant or accelerated velocities to challenge the animal's adaptability. The Rod can rotate at constant, accelerating, rocking (back and forth), or through complex acceleration/deceleration ramps.

 

How to Use a Rotarod?

• 1. Familiarize animals with the equipment to minimize stress and ensure accurate results.
• 2. Set the rotation speed and test duration to suit your research objectives.
• 3. Gently place the animal on the rotating rod, ensuring a secure footing.
• 4. Record the duration of the animal's balance and coordination on the rod.
• 5. Analyze the data to assess motor coordination and balance.

 

Features:

• - A non-invasive, stress-free method for assessing motor function
• - High-throughput data collection for rapid research progress
• - Sensitive detection of subtle motor function changes
• -The output results include for each lane: Time elapsed, Revolutions, Distance, Speed, Rotating Mode.

 

Applications of Rotarod:

• - Neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, stroke)
• - Psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression)
• - Pharmacological and toxicological studies.

 

Conclusion:

The Rotarod is a pivotal tool for evaluating motor function and balance in rodents, offering a unique window into the underlying mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric conditions. By integrating this technology into your research framework, you can significantly advance our understanding of complex diseases and develop more effective treatments. The test may be useful as a sensitive indicator of trauma induced by brain injury to laboratory rats.

 

Benefits of Using Orchids Rotarod: