Early Neuromotor Behavior in Craniosynostotic Rabbits

Abstract Objective: Clinical studies have shown both abnormal and normal mental and psychomotor development in patients with craniosynostosis. However, a number of confounding variables make study comparisons difficult. For these reasons, the present study describes early neuromotor development in an homogeneous rabbit model of craniosynostosis. Design: Fifty-three newborn New Zealand white rabbit kits were used: 13 were wild-type, normal control rabbits; 23 had delayed-onset coronal suture synostosis (onset is approximately 57 to 74 days post conception); and 17 had early-onset coronal suture synostosis (onset is approximately 21 to 25 days post conception). All rabbits were observed individually and blindly in an open field, daily for 2 minutes, from birth through the first 14 days of life. The first day of emergence of 10 different mature behaviors and developmental events (in developmental order of appearance: falling, righting, cliff avoidance, first sign of fur, body elevation, head elevation, circl...