# An innovative instrument cluster for the integrative behavioral analysis of mouse mutants with perturbed neuronal connectivity

> **NIH NIH S10** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · 2021 · $173,221

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
This S10 SIFAR grant application seeks funds to acquire an integrated instrument cluster to
allow the sensitive, reliable, and unbiased neurobehavioral phenotyping of a range of mouse
mutants from five major users modeling neurodegenerative conditions. These conditions
arise from gene mutations in glial cells resulting in aberrant myelination and axon
degeneration. The synergistic instrument cluster from Noldus Information Technology
comprises the Noldus CatWalk XT, the Noldus ErasmusLadder, and the Noldus EthoVision
XT open-field analysis system with custom configuration for simultaneous observation of up
to eight animals. The CatWalk XT is a highly sensitive video-based automated gait analysis
tool quantifying spatiotemporal characteristics of gait patterns along with paw print intensities
and ambulatory velocities of mice. The ErasmusLadder is an automated system for the
assessment of balance, coordination and locomotor capacity in mice. The EthoVision XT
open-field video-tracking system allows automated monitoring and statistical analysis of
activity, numerous ambulatory parameters, and stereotypic behavior in freely moving mice in
batch-acquisition mode. The five investigators currently use conventional neurobehavioral
methods (e.g., ink-based footprint, rotarod, pole-climb analysis) that are particularly laborious,
susceptible to artefacts, prone to high variability, inherently subjective, and distressing to
animals. The complementary instrument cluster will minimize these shortcomings, while in
parallel increasing throughput via the automation and computerization of data acquisition.
The equipment will also synergize with another instrument cluster accessible to the
investigators for the specific analysis of sensory impairment. All instruments together will
allow the investigators to comprehensively study sensorimotor alterations in their
neurodegenerative mouse disease models. This will allow for the identification of more
reliable neurobehavioral biomarkers, which will facilitate the measurement of disease
progression and comparision of treatment groups. The base grant projects that support this
proposal will greatly benefit from the additional capabilities of the tripartite instrument cluster
as well as from enhanced rigor, reproducibility, and transparency.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10176986
- **Project number:** 1S10OD030488-01
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
- **Principal Investigator:** Bogdan Beirowski
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $173,221
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-06-15 → 2022-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10176986

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10176986, An innovative instrument cluster for the integrative behavioral analysis of mouse mutants with perturbed neuronal connectivity (1S10OD030488-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10176986. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*