Methods for evaluating gait associated dynamic balance and coordination in rodents

Balance is the dynamic and unconscious control of the body's centre of mass to maintain postural equilibrium. Regulated by the vestibular system, head movement and acceleration are processed by the brain to adjust joints. Several conditions result in a loss of balance, including Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Menière's Disease and cervical spondylosis, all of which are caused by damage to certain parts of the vestibular pathways. Studies about the impairment of the vestibular system are challenging to carry out in human trials due to smaller study sizes limiting applications of the results and a lacking understanding of the human balance control mechanism. In contrast, more controlled research can be performed in animal studies which have fewer confounding factors than human models and allow specific conditions that affect balance to be replicated. Balance control can be studied using rodent balance-related behavioural tests after spinal or brain lesions, such as the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) Locomotor Scale, Foot Fault Scoring System, Ledged Beam Test, Beam Walking Test, and Ladder Beam Test, which are discussed in this review article along with their advantages and disadvantages. These tests can be performed in preclinical rodent models of femoral nerve injury, stroke, spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases.

An exploratory study from eastern India on neurological soft signs and spontaneous movement disorders in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

BACKGROUND

Apart from the traditional symptoms of delusion and hallucination, soft signs of neurological dysfunction in psychotic disorder has the potential for addressing neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative aetiology.

AIM

The study explored the neurological soft signs (NSS) and spontaneous movement disorders (SMD) in the same patient population of schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) and other psychotic disorders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients were diagnosed with SSD and other psychotic disorders as per ICD-10 diagnostic criteria and were evaluated with the Heidelberg manual for NSS and Modified Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), Simpson-Angus Rating Scale (SARS), Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale (BARS) for assessing dyskinesia.

RESULTS

Total 16 patients with mean age of 28.7 (±7.7) years had a mean duration of 63.2 (±68.8) months' disorder. Patients with schizophrenia had the mean Heidelberg score of 6.75 (±3.304). The scores of complex motor task, right/ left spatial orientation, integrative functions, and hard signs varied but the motor coordination score was unwaveringly high in all the participants with SSD. Sixty six per cent of SSD patients had dyskinesia. None had scored more than the upper limit of normal range in SARS. None of the participants had scored enough to qualify for akathisia.

CONCLUSION

NSS and SMD emerge as distinct objective parameters for a group of psychotic disorder patients, especially SSD.