Narrow Bridges/Balance Beam
Narrow bridges/balance beam: This test places animals on a series of elevated beams, either square or round, at one end (suspended above the floor so there is no escape other than to traverse the beam). The animal learns to walk along the length of the beam to the opposite end where a dark escape box is located. Once an animal masters basic task requirements, it is placed on progressively narrower and/or smaller diameter beams. Number of slips, falls, and crossing time are recorded. This test depends on the cerebellum and balance (otolith for static and semicircular canals for dynamic balance). This test is scored manually.
