Grip Strength Meter (GSM) for Mice and Rats

The Grip Strength Meter determines the maximum force displayed by an animal in the forelimb, hind-limb or all four limbs, thanks to the full set of accessories included in the Ugo Basile Grip Strength Meter package.

The technique exploits the instinctive resistance of rodents to backward movements and their consequence tendency to grasp (grip) against the pull-back movement that the operator applies. The device has a self-calibrating and auto-zeroing force sensor, amplifier and peak detector, embedded in stand-alone (battery powered) controller and sturdy base, where grasp accessories are mounted (stainless-steel T-shaped bar, 2 stainless-steel trapeze bars, a plastic grasping grid, a plastic grasping grid partly blind and a stainless-steel orientable grid).

It also includes easy data transfer into .csv, Excel-compatible files and a PC software to pre-determine the slope of the force applied to the animal when pulling back.

Background

The grip strength meter determines the maximum force (skeletal muscle function) displayed by an animal thanks to the instinctive resistance of rodents to backward movements and their consequence tendency to grasp (grip) against the pull-back movement that the operator applies. Because of its simplicity and economy, the grip strength meter is the most commonly used in vivo test for monitoring impaired limb strength (fore and/or hind limb) caused by pathology progression and/or chronic exercise in rodents Because this test is non-invasive and does not damage the muscle, it can be performed over time, being a useful tool to assess the effect of either a short or long-term treatment. When the test is performed in a fashion that maintains rigorous timing, the animals do not lose interest in the test over time.

Automated detection, standalone or PC-based

• The Ugo Basile grip strength meter can measure the 2 forelimbs, the 2 hindlimbs and the 4 limbs in rats and mice, thanks to the included stainless-steel T-shaped bar, 2 stainless-steel trapeze bars, the plastic grasping grid, the plastic grasping grid partly blind (for 2 limbs) and a stainless-steel orientable grid (see pictures above).
• The device automatically stores and displays the peak pull-force (peak tension) achieved by the limbs before the animal loses grip, thanks to its peak detector algorithm.
• The PC slope feature is useful to verify if the desired force has been applied with consistent rate, serving as a quality control tool, showing the applied pulling force, the desired target force rate and the peak detection in real time.
• A force sensor and a peak amplifier have been integrated for high-precision measurements with a grip strength meter. The maximum applicable force is 1’500g with a resolution of 0.1g.
• The device can be used stand-alone or can be connected to a PC via the USB port to monitor the experiment and record the data.
• Control unit with internal memory to view and save data. Quick data transfer in .csv or .txt format for data analysis.
• There is no need of manual calibration since the instrument has an auto-calibration feature before running any trial.

Features & Benefits

Application

The test measures grasping force and hence skeletal muscle performance, however it is a flexible tool for many other purposes, for example for determination of fatigue: when repetitive tests are performed in sequence with a short latency between each test, the reduction in strength between the first and the last determination can be taken as an index of fatigue.

The classic use of the grip strength meter is hind or whole limb strength measurement.

The hind limb strength is generally measured with a grid and the animal grasps with the four limbs, but it is pulled until the hind limb are released, which happens after the fore-limbs.

To measure the four limbs, generally it is important to apply a stronger and faster rate so that all the limbs are released at the same time.

Applications range from drug testing to toxicology, ageing, and phenotyping, especially on models of Parkinson’s, inflammation, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on both rats and mice.

Ordering Information

Main References

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