Weighted cart pull: A novel outcome measure for sustained motor function in mice.

ABSTRACT: Sarcopenia, the pathological age-related decline in muscle mass and strength, compromises independence and quality of life in older adults. Currently, no effective treatments are available. To enhance translational research using aged mouse models, we developed and validated the weighted cart pull (WCP) as a novel assessment of sustained motor function. The WCP test involved attaching a weighted cart to the tail of a mouse as it climbed a ramp to a 'resting house'. Mass was increased incrementally until failure, defined as either five consecutive hindquarter pokes without progress or sliding backwards. In experiment 1, reliability (inter- and intra-rater) was evaluated in middle-aged mice (9 months, n = 10, 50% female). In experiment 2, young (n = 8, 50% female) and old (n = 8, 50% female)

SUBMITTER: Brennan CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12665932 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature