MotoRater - Kinematics & Gait Analysis

• Fine kinematic gait analysis in 4 modalities: walking, ladder walking, wading, swimming
• Observation and analysis of 3 animal sides (ventral, lateral right/left)
• Data from all relevant body parts – not just paws
• Movement analysis based on trajectories of joint positions and angles with respective properties (i.e. velocity and acceleration) leading to
• More than 100 parameters
• High sensitivity: MotoRater allows to detect subtle to severe gait changes in various animal models
• Combines with several other methods (e.g. Electrophysiology, Optogenetics and Telemetry)

MotoRater is a semi-automated system for rodent kinematic gait analysis with high sensitivity to evaluate 4 different motion modalities – over ground walking, skilled ladder walking, wading in water and swimming. In contrast to conventional methods, MotoRater allows testing animals in water, which offers the exceptional opportunity to evaluate severely impaired rodent models, which would not be able to support their body weight on solid ground.
MotoRater observes the animal from 3 sides simultaneously (ventral, left, right) and provides detailed readouts of ALL body parts relevant to motion, i.e. paws, ankles, joints, tail, head, hip, iliac crest etc. – allowing reliable detection of subtle deviations, early symptom onset and treatment effects. MotoRater combines/synchronizes with external devices (EEG, EMG) and allows the implementation of other methods (e.g. Optogenetics Bouvier et al 2015, electro- myographic recordings Zörner et al 2010). 

MotoRater therefore allows the objective phenotyping of various disease models with traits of impaired locomotor ability and detects subtle effects after genetic or pharmacological intervention. Fine motor kinematic gait analyses conducted with MotoRater (with more than 100 kinematic gait parameters) is a very sensitive way to measure motor skills with high translational value. Kinematic gait analysis in humans is done by a number of digital motion capture cameras which record the position of light reflective markers attached to the patient’s joints. Hence, fine motor kinematic gait analyses conducted with MotoRater is the most accurate method to compare rodent gait with human conditions.