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Report summarizes life sciences study findings from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Biotech Week February 24, 2010 Researchers detail in ‘A simple protocol for assessing inter-trial and inter-examiner reliability for two noninvasive measures of limb muscle strength,’ new data in life sciences. “Noninvasive measures of limb muscle strength are quite useful in preclinical translational studies that use mouse models of muscle disease, peripheral nerve disease, and movement disorders. The present study uses a simple protocol for assessing both inter-trial and inter-examiner reliability for two noninvasive methods of assessing limb strength in dystrophic (mdx) and wild type mice,” researchers in the United States report (see also Life Sciences).

“One method, termed the whole body tension (WBT) method or escape test, measures the total phasic pulling tension exerted by the fore-and hindlimbs while a mouse attempts to escape into a darkened tube. Another procedure, termed the four limb wire grid holding test, measures the minimal amount of sustained tension (physical impulse) exerted by the fore-and hindlimbs while the mouse hangs suspended in an upside-down position. A comparison of the two methods revealed significant inter-trial and inter-examiner correlations in each procedure, although the WBT procedure consistently produced higher correlations than the four limb wire grid holding test. Inter-trial reliability for each test was higher than inter-examiner reliability, indicating that each longitudinal series of tests is best performed by a single investigator. The holding test also did not consistently detect differences between wild type and mdx populations at ages greater than 4 months,” wrote C.G. Carlson and colleagues, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine. go to web site at still university go to web site at still university

The researchers concluded: “These results demonstrate the utility of a simple protocol for assessing the reliability of noninvasive tests that measure limb strength, and should be useful in comparing different functional measures in a broad range of translational studies.” Carlson and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods (A simple protocol for assessing inter-trial and inter-examiner reliability for two noninvasive measures of limb muscle strength. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 2010;186(2):226-30).

For additional information, contact C.G. Carlson, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dept. of Physiology, AT Still University, 800 West Jefferson St., Kirksville, MO 63501 USA.