Modification of the Ladder Rung Walking Task—New Options for Analysis of Skilled Movements

Figure 3

Modes of limb use in inclined rung ladder walking. Frequency of occurrence of the categories for limb use: jumps, stops, and limb idling were analyzed for each limb in horizontal (zero inclination), upward, and downward walking across the rung ladder before and after photothrombotic lesion. Lesion was performed in the respective areas of the motor cortex of both the right forelimb and hind limb. In horizontal walking, photothrombosis resulted in an increased use of the impaired forelimb, and modes of limb use differed between the tasks. H: horizontal ladder, U: upward ladder, D: downward ladder, B: baseline, PI 7: postischemic day 7, PI 28: postischemic day 28, LFL: left forelimb, RFL: right forelimb, RHL: right hind limb, LHL: left hind limb. ^oneredstar𝑃<0.05, ^tworedstars𝑃<0.01versus baseline, red#P < 0.05 versus PI 7; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 versus H, ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01 versus U.