Forelimb Cortical Stroke Reduces Precision of Motor Control in Mice.

. Rodent models of stroke impairment should capture translatable features of behavioral injury. This study characterized poststroke impairment of motor precision separately from strength in an automated behavioral assay. . We measured skilled distal forelimb reach-and-grasp motions within a target force range requiring moderate-strength. We assessed whether deficits reflected an increase in errors on only one or both sides of the target force range after photothrombotic cortical stroke. . Pull accuracy was impaired for 6 weeks after stroke, with errors redistributing to both sides of the target range. No decrease in maximum force was measured. . This automated reach task measures sustained loss of motor precision following cortical stroke in mice.