Rodent Gait Changes After 35 Days on the International Space Station

20 mice per group were assessed using a portable gait analysis system to measure adaptations to microgravity. The dataset contains results from a behavior assay comparing flight, ground control, and vivarium control groups before and after a ~35-day spaceflight mission. This data was collected by NASA and last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling the impact of microgravity on locomotion based on 18 evaluated gait characteristics.
• Comparing longitudinal gait changes in hind limbs and forelimbs between spaceflight and control groups.
• Developing protocols for rapid behavioral assessment in constrained environments like spacecraft.

Strengths

• Data acquisition was rapid, with all 20 mice per group assessed in less than an hour.
• Study design includes three distinct control groups (FLIGHT, Ground Control, Vivarium) for comparison.
• 12 out of 18 evaluated hind limb gait characteristics showed significant changes in flight mice.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Prospective collection of gait data using a DigiGait analysis system on mice before and after a ~35-day mission on the ISS.

Time Range

Pre-flight and post-flight measurements around a ~35-day spaceflight period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:54:04.679086; freshness should be verified

Geography

International Space Station and associated ground-based control facilities.