Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Brain Res. 2020 Jun 10;1746:146968. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146968

Figure 2. Sickle cell mice have significant locomotor/gait adaptability deficits.

Figure 2.

Data are shown as least-square means±standard error of the least-square means. The experimental paradigm in the Erasmus Ladder allows for an analysis of multi-joint limb control and coordination capabilities by measuring the percentage of short (A, B, and C) and long steps (D, E, and F) in male and female controls (A and D), heterozygotes (B and E), and homozygous (C and F). P values reflect ad hoc male vs. female pairwise comparisons for respective genotypes and sessions. Regarding short steps, there were genotype by session by sex interaction (p=0.0075, A-C) indicating that there were differences in percentage of short steps among genotypes that varied by sex and session. A. Among control mice, male and females showed similar percentage of short steps during unperturbed and perturbed sessions. B. In heterozygotes, female mice displayed higher percentage of short steps compared to males during unperturbed sessions (all p≤0.012). C. Among homozygotes, female mice displayed higher percentage of short steps compared to males in all sessions except during the first unperturbed session (all p<0.016). Regarding long steps, controlling for sex and genotype, during perturbed sessions animals displayed increases in percentage of long steps compared to the last unperturbed session (all p≤0.010, D-F). Additionally, there were also genotype by session by sex interactions (p=0.0024, D-F) indicating that there were differences in percentage of long steps among controls, heterozygotes, and homozygotes, which varied according to sex and session. D. Among control mice, male and females showed similar percentage of long steps during all sessions. E. Among heterozygotes, during unperturbed and the first perturbed sessions, male mice displayed higher percentage of long steps (all p<0.048) compared to females heterozygotes. F. In a different pattern compared to controls and heterozygotes (p=0.0024, for genotype by sex by session interaction), among homozygotes, male mice had a higher percentage of long steps compared to females in all sessions after the first unperturbed session (all p≤0.021). Overall, controlling for session, female homozygous displayed a lower percentage (p=0.016) whereas male homozygotes had similar (p=0.179) percentage of long steps compared to female and male controls respectively. Thirty-one mice participated in the Erasmus Ladder test, N=10–11 per genotype including balanced numbers of age-matched male and females.