Spatiotemporal quantification of gait in common marmosets

Kristen A Pickett; Nancy Schultz-Darken; Abigail F Bradfield; Kerri Malicki; Bruce Pape; Karla K Ausderau; Marina E Emborg

doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108517

Spatiotemporal quantification of gait in common marmosets

J Neurosci Methods. 2020 Jan 15:330:108517. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108517. Epub 2019 Nov 12.

Authors

Kristen A Pickett¹, Nancy Schultz-Darken², Abigail F Bradfield³, Kerri Malicki², Bruce Pape², Karla K Ausderau⁴, Marina E Emborg⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Program in Occupational Therapy, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
² Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
³ Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Program in Occupational Therapy, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
⁴ Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Program in Occupational Therapy, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
⁵ Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA. Electronic address: emborg@primate.wisc.edu.

Abstract

Background: Objective gait evaluation in humans is used as a predictive disability outcome measure as well as an indicator for intervention effectiveness. Parallel methods of gait analysis in nonhuman primate models are essential for clinical translation. The goal of this study was to first assess whether marmosets' gait data could be reliably collected in a Noldus CatWalk XT10.6 and second, establish a testing protocol to assess gait and the intraindividual variability during repeated testing.

New method: The CatWalk, originally developed for rodents, was modified and used to assess gait in eight adult common marmoset monkeys across multiple days and trials. Data was first analyzed to identify valid runs. Repeated measures ANOVA was completed for the following gait measures: mean base of support, average stride length, average swing time, and average stance time.

Results: Raters had a high level of concurrence of usable data across all trials with successful trials including four consecutive hindfoot footfalls, during a continuous, uninterrupted segment of walking. A significant main effect of time (p < 0.000) but not rater (p = 0.98) was present with significant interactions for time by subject (p < 0.000), but not rater per subject (p = 0.538), time (p = 0.186), or three-way interaction (p = 0.297).

Comparison with existing method(s): Gait has been assessed using force-plate and video data. The CatWalk allowed reproducible, automated and translational locomotor data to be collected at multiple time points with detailed analyses that identified a diagonal gait pattern.

Conclusions: The CatWalk system, similar to those used in humans, can be effectively used to quantify spatiotemporal characteristics of gait in the common marmoset.

Keywords: Common marmosets; Duty cycle; Gait; Locomotion; Monkeys; Stride.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena / physiology*
Callithrix / physiology*
Female
Gait / physiology*
Male

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding