Pole Test
Overview
The pole test evaluates bradykinesia and motor coordination by measuring the time required for a mouse to turn head-downward (T-turn) and descend a vertical pole to the base. The animal is placed head-upward near the top of a rough-surfaced vertical pole (typically 50 cm tall, 8-10 mm diameter), and must orient itself downward and climb to the base. This test is particularly sensitive to nigrostriatal dopamine depletion, making it a standard behavioral assay in Parkinson disease models.
The two primary endpoints — time to turn (T-turn) and time to descend (T-total) — dissociate orienting/postural control from locomotor execution. Increased T-turn specifically reflects bradykinesia and impaired motor initiation, while increased T-total reflects overall motor slowing. The test is rapid, requires minimal equipment, and is sensitive to both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic motor impairments.
ConductMaze interfaces with sensor arrays on the pole apparatus to automatically detect the animal's orientation change (turn event) and arrival at the base platform, eliminating observer bias in timing measurements. The software records each trial, computes averages across trials, and supports longitudinal disease-progression tracking.
Trial Flow
Place on Pole
Place mouse head-upward near top of pole
Turn Detection
Sensor detects head-downward orientation
Record T-turn
Log time from placement to completed turn
Descent
Animal climbs down pole toward base
Base Arrival
Sensor detects contact with base platform
Record T-total
Log total time from placement to base arrival
Next Trial / End
Repeat for 3-5 trials, compute averages
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pole Height | cm | 50 | Height of the vertical pole from base |
| Pole Diameter | mm | 10 | Diameter of the pole (wrapped in gauze for grip) |
| Max Trial Time | seconds | 60 | Maximum allowed time before trial is scored as max |
| Number of Trials | integer | 5 | Trials per session (best 3 averaged) |
| Training Trials | integer | 2 | Practice trials day before testing (not scored) |
| Inter-Trial Rest | seconds | 120 | Rest period between consecutive trials |
Metrics
| Metric | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| T-turn | seconds | Time to complete head-downward orientation — bradykinesia index |
| T-total | seconds | Total time from placement to base arrival — overall motor performance |
| T-descend | seconds | T-total minus T-turn — pure locomotor descent time |
| Falls | count | Number of slips or falls from the pole |
| Incomplete Turns | count | Trials where animal descended sideways without full turn |
| Mean T-turn | seconds | Average T-turn across scored trials |
Sample Data
| Subject | Group | Trial | T_turn_s | T_total_s | Falls |
|---|
Representative data for illustration purposes. Actual values will vary by species, strain, and experimental conditions.
Applications
- 1Parkinson disease — dopaminergic motor deficit quantification in MPTP and 6-OHDA models
- 2L-DOPA efficacy — dose-response motor improvement in dopamine-depleted animals
- 3Alpha-synuclein pathology — progressive motor decline in transgenic synucleinopathy models
- 4Neuroprotection screening — compounds that preserve nigrostriatal motor function
- 5Aging — age-related bradykinesia in wild-type mice
Related Protocols
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