Locomotor Activity (rat)

To examine the potential toxic effect of an investigational compound on locomotor activity, a rat is placed in an open field Plexiglas chamber (40L × 40W × 30H cm) equipped with infrared sensors for 15 minutes and the total distance travelled, vertical activity counts, and horizontal activity counts are measured using an automated monitoring system. A vehicle-treated control cohort of n = 8 rats are evaluated in a randomized manner alongside the testing of the candidate compound-treated animals at the various doses needed to determine TD50. The effects of the investigational agent at various doses are compared to minimal motor impairment (MMI) scores, as well as vehicle-treated controls, to provide a dose-response curve on motor performance in an unbiased, automated fashion.