Early motor deficits in the phalangeal fine movements induced by chronic AMPA infusion in the rat spinal cord assessed by a novel method: Phalangeal tension recording test

•A novel procedure is described to quantify the toes grasping tension of rat.•This procedure was evaluated in two models of spinal motor neuron degeneration in vivo.•The test was compared with the rotarod and the footprint tests in the same models.•The test quantifies with high sensitivity the phalangeal motor deficits.•This quantification is relevant because it cannot be determined by the other tests.