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The adhesive removal test: a sensitive method to assess sensorimotor deficits in mice

Nature Protocols volume 4, pages 1560–1564 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Long-term functional deficits after a brain injury are difficult to assess in the mouse. If no deficit is observed, researchers could conclude either that the animal has fully recovered or that the tests they used were not appropriate or sensitive enough to the modality of the deficits. We present here a detailed protocol describing how to conduct an adhesive removal test for this species. It consists of applying adhesive tape on each forepaw of the animal and measuring the time-to-contact and the time-to-remove them. This behavior implies correct paw and mouth sensitivity (time-to-contact) and correct dexterity (time-to-remove). To decrease interindividual differences, we recommend a training session (1 week, 1 trial per day) before surgical procedures so that mice to reach optimal performances.

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Figure 1: Mice handling.
Figure 2: Adhesive removal performance.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Regional Council of Basse-Normandie, the University of Caen Basse-Normandie, and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Groupe Mémoire et Plasticité comportementale (GMPc), Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, Caen, France

    Valentine Bouet, Michel Boulouard, Pascale Schumann-Bard & Thomas Freret

  2. UMR 6232 CI-NAPS, CERVOxy team, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, CNRS, CEA, Caen, France

    Jérôme Toutain, Didier Divoux & Myriam Bernaudin

Authors
  1. Valentine Bouet
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  2. Michel Boulouard
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  3. Jérôme Toutain
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  6. Pascale Schumann-Bard
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  7. Thomas Freret
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Freret.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Video 1

Adhesive removal in the mouse. The colour circles show up adhesives once removed: left one first (red circle) and then the right (blue circle). (WMV 5638 kb)

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Bouet, V., Boulouard, M., Toutain, J. et al. The adhesive removal test: a sensitive method to assess sensorimotor deficits in mice. Nat Protoc 4, 1560–1564 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2009.125

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