Fig. 4.

Automated assessment of home cage climbing activity in a mutant line with progressive motor deficits. Line graphs illustrating the average hourly climbing activities of 3 wild type (WT, black solid lines) and 3 mutant (MUT, grey dashed lines) mice. Climbing was assessed automatically using the HCA system. Average time spent climbing is noticeably higher in mice at 8 weeks of age A) than at 13 weeks of age B). Climbing behaviours in mutants appear to be significantly lower towards the end of the dark phase (6–7 a.m.) at both time points. C) Ethogram showing both locomotor activity and climbing activity in 13 week old mice over a two-hour period either side of lights-on (6 a.m.–8 a.m.). Mutant mice with motor deficits show particularly lower bouts of climbing activity at this time of day.