Abstract
The IBB scale is a recently developed forelimb scale for the assessment of fine control of the forelimb and digits after cervical spinal cord injury [SCI; (1)]. The present paper describes the assessment of inter-rater reliability and face, concurrent and construct validity of this scale following SCI. It demonstrates that the IBB is a reliable and valid scale that is sensitive to severity of SCI and to recovery over time. In addition, the IBB correlates with other outcome measures and is highly predictive of biological measures of tissue pathology. Multivariate analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrates that the IBB is highly predictive of the syndromic outcome after SCI (2), and is among the best predictors of bio-behavioral function, based on strong construct validity. Altogether, the data suggest that the IBB, especially in concert with other measures, is a reliable and valid tool for assessing neurological deficits in fine motor control of the distal forelimb, and represents a powerful addition to multivariate outcome batteries aimed at documenting recovery of function after cervical SCI in rats.
Highlights
Motor function loss is a major consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI) and has been the focus of experimental studies for over a century
The present paper describes the assessment of inter-rater reliability and face, concurrent and construct validity of this scale following SCI
INITIAL SCALING Based on general observations of rats with SCI while consuming cereal, we first divided the behaviors into different categories
Summary
Motor function loss is a major consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI) and has been the focus of experimental studies for over a century. Most studies have used thoracic injury models and assessed locomotor function as the primary outcome measure. A number of cervical injury models have been developed [3,4,5,6,7,8,9], and are being used more frequently due to the understanding that the majority of SCI occurs at this level in the human population [10]. Individuals with cervical injuries are reported to be most interested in the reinstatement of hand function [11], and outcome measures focused on recovery of forelimb use are becoming more commonplace. In our attempts to model cervical SCI, we chose to use unilateral injuries to reduce the burden of neurological deficits, including bladder dysfunction and quadriplegia. What was missing in this battery of tests was an assessment of distal forelimb and digit function
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