Instrument Introduction

ErasmusLadder is a fully automated system to screen both motor performance and motor learning capabilities of mice in a noninvasive manner. The system consists of a horizontal ladder between two goal boxes. Rungs on the ladder are equipped with touch sensors, which are continuously monitored during test to record the position and the walking pattern of the mouse by the software. In a specially designed experimental procedure, an obstacle rung can suddenly rise as a perturbation. How animals learn to cope with this challenge is an indicator for measuring associative motor learning.