About me
Assessment of effects of noise exposure in rodents using balance beam test
Location: East Ballroom
Mentor: Dr. Rachele Sangaletti
The balance beam test is a measure of vestibular dysfunction in rodent models used to examine fine motor coordination and balance. Specific impairment to the vestibular system can be observed with the balance beam test, such as high decibel noise exposures that result in slower walking speed, balance issues, and increased risk of falls. While studies have used the balance beam test to reveal vestibular dysfunction, these studies lack documentation of training periods to establish a baseline proficiency in rodents prior to manipulation, increasing the variability of results. Therefore, to measure changes in motor performance using a balance beam test, we trained twelve- to fourteen-week-old- male and female Brown Norway rats for one week before and remeasured for four weeks after noise exposure. While male rodents failed to learn to cross the beam and therefore had no change in performance, females had lower crossing times over the training period. After noise exposure, our results demonstrated female rodents exposed to noise had an increase in latency, number of stops, and neurological issues in comparison to control female rodents, with the highest impact one day after exposure. This may imply that the training period was sufficient at establishing a baseline proficiency prior to experimental manipulation and that noise exposure results in motor deficits such as slower walking speed and decrease neurological function.
