Automated gait analysis to assess impairments

Purpose The aim of this study was to develop and validate StepAn, a novel low-cost software tool for automated gait analysis in rodents. We sought to determine whether this accessible system, which uses standard video from devices like smartphones, could sensitively detect motor deficits in a pharmacological model of Parkinsonian bradykinesia. Methods Wistar rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of saline (control), 0.15 mg/kg haloperidol, or 0.30 mg/kg haloperidol. One hour post-injection, gait was analyzed using both the traditional manual "Footprints" test and the StepAn software, which automates paw detection and stride length calculation from video recordings. Results Both analysis methods detected a significant reduction in average stride length in haloperidol-treated rats compared to controls (p < 0.001), confirming the expected bradykinetic phenotype. No significant difference was found between the two haloperidol doses. StepAn provided equivalent mean values but demonstrated superior precision, evidenced by significantly lower measurement variability compared to manual scoring. Conclusion We successfully validated StepAn as a reliable, precise, and hardware-flexible tool for quantitative gait assessment. Its ability to detect drug-induced Parkinsonian gait deficits comparable to established methods, combined with its low cost and ease of use, makes it a promising resource for broadening access to sophisticated locomotor analysis in preclinical research.