Effects of inter-individual variability in experimenters’ sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disorders

BackgroundThis study was designed to explore the correlation between animal behavioral assessment quality and rater’s individual sensitivity and training.MethodsWe selected different raters to form a panel to rate the severity of posturo-locomotor deficits in animals displaying excitotoxic or ototox...

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Main Authors: Romain Boularand, Bérénice Hatat, Claire Bringuier, Nicolas Chanut, Abdessadek El Ahmadi, Stéphane Besnard, Brahim Tighilet, Christian Chabbert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Neurology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1532927/full
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author Romain Boularand
Bérénice Hatat
Claire Bringuier
Nicolas Chanut
Abdessadek El Ahmadi
Stéphane Besnard
Stéphane Besnard
Brahim Tighilet
Brahim Tighilet
Brahim Tighilet
Christian Chabbert
Christian Chabbert
Christian Chabbert
author_facet Romain Boularand
Bérénice Hatat
Claire Bringuier
Nicolas Chanut
Abdessadek El Ahmadi
Stéphane Besnard
Stéphane Besnard
Brahim Tighilet
Brahim Tighilet
Brahim Tighilet
Christian Chabbert
Christian Chabbert
Christian Chabbert
author_sort Romain Boularand
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundThis study was designed to explore the correlation between animal behavioral assessment quality and rater’s individual sensitivity and training.MethodsWe selected different raters to form a panel to rate the severity of posturo-locomotor deficits in animals displaying excitotoxic or ototoxic lesions-induced vestibular syndrome. All raters, regardless of their scientific level, received brief training based on videos and tutorial files. They then had to score videos of rats with different types and stages of vestibular syndromes. All data were collected and analyzed.ResultsInter-individual variability in raters significantly altered the results of behavioral assessment of posturo-locomotor deficits in vestibulo-lesioned animals. Neither gender nor scientific level had an impact on the results. In contrast, the sensitivity of the individual to animal welfare impacted the mean score in the ototoxic lesion model. Raters with high sensitivity tended to exaggerate the symptomatology.ConclusionThe use of automated assessments of posturo-locomotor deficits in vestibulo-lesioned rodents, is the best solution to limit these assessment biases.
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publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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spelling doaj-art-a5ca7b75e93e421b85d274a3b7088a422025-08-20T02:54:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952025-03-011610.3389/fneur.2025.15329271532927Effects of inter-individual variability in experimenters’ sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disordersRomain Boularand0Bérénice Hatat1Claire Bringuier2Nicolas Chanut3Abdessadek El Ahmadi4Stéphane Besnard5Stéphane Besnard6Brahim Tighilet7Brahim Tighilet8Brahim Tighilet9Christian Chabbert10Christian Chabbert11Christian Chabbert12Vertidiag, Montpellier, FranceVertidiag, Montpellier, FranceVertidiag, Montpellier, FranceVertidiag, Montpellier, FranceCentre de Recherche en Psychologie et Neurosciences, Aix Marseille Université-CNRS UMR 7077, Marseille, FranceUnité GDR 2074 CNRS, Marseille, FranceUR Vertex 7480, Université de Caen Normandie, CHU Caen, Caen, FranceVertidiag, Montpellier, FranceCentre de Recherche en Psychologie et Neurosciences, Aix Marseille Université-CNRS UMR 7077, Marseille, FranceUnité GDR 2074 CNRS, Marseille, FranceVertidiag, Montpellier, FranceCentre de Recherche en Psychologie et Neurosciences, Aix Marseille Université-CNRS UMR 7077, Marseille, FranceUnité GDR 2074 CNRS, Marseille, FranceBackgroundThis study was designed to explore the correlation between animal behavioral assessment quality and rater’s individual sensitivity and training.MethodsWe selected different raters to form a panel to rate the severity of posturo-locomotor deficits in animals displaying excitotoxic or ototoxic lesions-induced vestibular syndrome. All raters, regardless of their scientific level, received brief training based on videos and tutorial files. They then had to score videos of rats with different types and stages of vestibular syndromes. All data were collected and analyzed.ResultsInter-individual variability in raters significantly altered the results of behavioral assessment of posturo-locomotor deficits in vestibulo-lesioned animals. Neither gender nor scientific level had an impact on the results. In contrast, the sensitivity of the individual to animal welfare impacted the mean score in the ototoxic lesion model. Raters with high sensitivity tended to exaggerate the symptomatology.ConclusionThe use of automated assessments of posturo-locomotor deficits in vestibulo-lesioned rodents, is the best solution to limit these assessment biases.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1532927/fullanimal experimentationrisk of biasmethodsvestibular pathologiesinter-individual variabilitypathological models
spellingShingle Romain Boularand
Bérénice Hatat
Claire Bringuier
Nicolas Chanut
Abdessadek El Ahmadi
Stéphane Besnard
Stéphane Besnard
Brahim Tighilet
Brahim Tighilet
Brahim Tighilet
Christian Chabbert
Christian Chabbert
Christian Chabbert
Effects of inter-individual variability in experimenters’ sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disorders
Frontiers in Neurology
animal experimentation
risk of bias
methods
vestibular pathologies
inter-individual variability
pathological models
title Effects of inter-individual variability in experimenters’ sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disorders
title_full Effects of inter-individual variability in experimenters’ sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disorders
title_fullStr Effects of inter-individual variability in experimenters’ sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disorders
title_full_unstemmed Effects of inter-individual variability in experimenters’ sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disorders
title_short Effects of inter-individual variability in experimenters’ sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disorders
title_sort effects of inter individual variability in experimenters sensitivity and training on behavioral assessment of animal models of vestibular disorders
topic animal experimentation
risk of bias
methods
vestibular pathologies
inter-individual variability
pathological models
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1532927/full
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