The complex wheel add-on for mouse and rat RotaRod introduces an additional complexity element for the animal to be tested. Thanks to the asymmetrical and adjustable bars it increases the test sensitivity and add a higher involvement of motor cortex and hippocampus, as compared to the classic rotarod test.
The Ugo Basile RotaRod is the 1st and original, invented after the Dunham and Miya method (1957) and today has more than 6,200 citations in the literature.
The Complex Wheel was developed in conjunction with Prof. Michele Bellesi and Prof. Luisa de Vivo from the University of Camerino (Italy).
The complex wheel is designed in a way that the animal does not have a uniform surface to walk on but rather a number of horizontal bars (rungs) that can be changed in number and positioned in a symmetrical or uneven position to vary the test complexity. This provides a different task to the animals, which now don’t have to walk on a small rod, but rather on an accelerating wheel with irregular bars pattern.
The complex wheels for Mouse and Rat RotaRod include removable bars, which allow for complete control of the task difficulty and therefore of the engagement of motor cortex and hippocampus, in addition to the increase of the test sensitivity.
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47650-327 Mouse RotaRod Complex Wheel |
47750-327 Rat RotaRod Complex Wheel (22 bars) |
47750-D01-327 Large Rat RotaRod Complex Wheel (26 bars) |
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| Suitable for | Mouse RotaRod SKU 47650 | Rat RotaRod SKU 47750 | Large Rat RotaRod SKU 47750-D01 |
| External diameter (where the rodent walks) | 95 mm | 144 mm |
180 mm |
| Internal diameter (where the complex wheel attaches to the lane of the RotaRod) | 30 mm | 60 mm | 80 mm |
| Width | 56,3 mm | 83 mm | 110 mm |
| No of bars | 30 | 22 | 26 |
| Distance between bars (if all bars are in place) | 9 mm | 20 mm | 19 mm |
| Weight | 492 gr | 675gr | 1090 grams |
| Number of units to fill all RotaRod Lanes | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Warranty | Mouse RotaRod Complex Wheel is covered by a 12-month warranty + 12 after product registration | Rat RotaRod Complex Wheel is covered by a 12-month warranty + 12 after product registration | Large Rat RotaRod Complex Wheel is covered by a 12-month warranty + 12 after product registration |
What Nagai et al. showed in their 2017 paper is that mice undergoing complex wheel experiments consolidate during sleep a motor skill that engages motor cortex and hippocampus much more than in the traditional rotarod test.
This is potentially due to the increased complexity of movements that happen thanks to the irregular rung patterns in the complex wheel task.
| 47650-327 | Complex Wheel for Mouse RotaRod (30 bars) |
| 47750-327 | Complex Wheel for Rat RotaRod (22 bars) |
| 47750-D01-327 | Large Rat RotaRod Complex Wheel (26 bars) |
Nagai et al. 2017, "Sleep consolidates motor learning of complex movement sequences in mice"; Sleep, 40 (2).
In addition to the one-year Regular Warranty and in addition to the one-year product registration extended warranty, Ugo Basile offers an Optional Extended Warranty that extends the warranty period for the product for additional one or two years called “UB Care12”/“UB Care24”. Customers may purchase the “UB Care” at the maximum of 3 months after buying. For more detailed information, please contact your local representatives.
