Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) test

The BBB locomotor rating scale is considered to be a reliable tool for evaluating impairment and recovery of motor abilities in hindlimbs following spinal cord injury (21) A total score of 21 points indicate that the locomotor ability had not been affected, while 0 points represents a severe deficit. The rats were placed in an open experimental field and allowed to move freely for 5 min. During this period, the lower limb movement ability of the rats was observed and the movement of each rat was scored based on the BBB score scale. Hindlimb motor behavior was evaluated weekly for 8 weeks, with tests performed at the same time each day and grading performed by two investigators (XZ and JD) blinded to grouping.