Foot Fault Test

The Foot Fault test is a tool for assessing locomotor function in rodent models of CNS disorders. Subjects are placed on an elevated horizontal ladder and trained to cross the device. Video scoring or sensors record paws slipping along the steps of the ladder as the animal crosses. Paw misplacements and the ambulatory time are recorded for each run of the test; a total of four runs are recorded for each animal. The average time to complete the trial as well as the average misplacements per trial are calculated. The Foot Fault test is useful for phenotyping transgenic strains of mice as well as experimental models of CNS injury. The efficacy of the novel chemical entities could also be evaluated using this test.