Graduate Exam Abstract
Pranav Damale
M.S. Final
September 4, 2015, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Mechanical Engineering Conference Room
Design of a Gait Acquisition and Analysis System for Assessing the Recovery in a Classical Murine Model of Parkinson's Disease
Abstract: Gait deficits are important clinical
symptoms of Parkinson's disease
(PD). Data focusing on gait can be
used to measure recovery of motor
impairments in rodents with systemic
dopamine depletion. This thesis
presents a design for a gait
acquisition and analysis system able
to capture paw strikes of a mouse,
extract their positions and timing
data, and report quantitative gait
metrics to the operator. These
metrics can then be used to evaluate
the gait changes in mice. This work
presents the design evaluation of the
system, from initial cellphone
captured video concepts through
prototyping and testing to the final
implementation. The system utilizes a
GoPro camera, optimally lit walkway
design, image processing techniques
to capture footfalls, and algorithms
for their quantitative assessment.
The results gained from live animal
study with methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-
tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced
murine model of PD and treated with
1,1-bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-
chlorophenyl)methane (C-DIM12) are
presented, and it is shown how the
quantitative measurements can be
used to determine healthy, injured,
and recovering gait.
Adviser: Dr. Edwin K. P. Chong
Co-Adviser: N/A
Non-ECE Member: Dr. Ronald Tjalkens
Member 3: Dr. Imme Ebert-Uphoff
Addional Members: N/A
Publications:
N/A
Program of Study:
ECE430
ECE513
ECE520
ECE514
ECE656
ECE530
ECE681A1
ECE699
