Sensory & Pain
Acoustic startle chambers, pre-pulse inhibition, thermal nociception, mechanical pain thresholds, and orofacial pain assessment. ConductMaze delivers calibrated stimuli and records response latencies with sub-millisecond accuracy.
Von Frey Filament Test
The von Frey filament test is the gold-standard method for measuring mechanical sensitivity (allodynia and hyperalgesia) in rodent models of pain.
6 parametersHot Plate Test
The hot plate test measures supraspinal nociceptive processing by placing a rodent on a heated metal surface (typically 52–55 °C) and recording the latency to a nocifensive response — hind paw lick, hind paw shake, or jumping.
5 parametersTail-Flick Test
The tail-flick test measures spinal nociceptive reflex latency by applying a focused radiant heat source (or hot water immersion) to the tail and recording the time until the animal reflexively flicks its tail away from the stimulus.
5 parametersPlantar Test (Hargreaves)
The plantar test (Hargreaves method) measures thermal nociceptive sensitivity by directing a focused radiant heat source through a glass floor onto the plantar surface of a hind paw in freely moving, unrestrained animals.
6 parametersAcoustic Startle & Prepulse Inhibition
Acoustic startle response (ASR) and prepulse inhibition (PPI) measure sensorimotor gating — the brain's ability to filter sensory information by attenuating the motor response to a startling stimulus when it is preceded by a weaker prepulse.
8 parametersOrofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD)
The Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) is an operant-based assay that measures pain sensitivity in the trigeminal (V2/V3) dermatome by requiring rodents to contact a thermal stimulus with their face to access a reward (Anderson et al.
7 parametersVogel Conflict Test
The Vogel conflict test (Vogel et al.
7 parametersPrepulse Inhibition (PPI)
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating in which a weak, non-startling acoustic stimulus (the prepulse) presented 30-500 ms before a startling pulse reduces the magnitude of the startle reflex.
10 parametersFear-Potentiated Startle
Fear-potentiated startle (FPS) is a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm in which a previously neutral conditioned stimulus (CS), such as a light or tone, acquires the ability to enhance the acoustic startle reflex after being paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US), typically a mild footshock.
10 parametersVon Frey Up-Down Method
The von Frey up-down method, based on the Dixon staircase procedure, is the gold-standard technique for determining the 50% mechanical withdrawal threshold of the hindpaw in rodents.
8 parametersFormalin Test
The formalin test is a tonic chemical pain model in which a small volume (20-50 μL for mice, 50-100 μL for rats) of dilute formalin (1-5% formaldehyde in saline) is injected subcutaneously into the plantar surface of one hindpaw.
9 parametersCold Plate Test
The cold plate test assesses cold sensitivity by placing rodents on a temperature-controlled metal surface maintained at a noxious cold temperature, typically 0-4°C.
9 parametersZebrafish Acoustic Startle and Habituation
The zebrafish acoustic startle and habituation assay quantifies the C-start escape response, a rapid (< 15 ms latency) full-body bend triggered by abrupt acoustic or vibrational stimuli, and the progressive reduction of this reflex upon repeated stimulus presentation.
9 parametersAuditory Brainstem Response
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is a far-field auditory evoked potential that provides an objective, non-invasive measure of hearing sensitivity and neural conduction through the ascending auditory pathway.
8 parametersThermal Gradient Preference
The thermal gradient preference apparatus provides a continuous, non-forced assessment of thermosensory function and thermoregulatory behavior in rodents.
8 parametersOlfactory Discrimination
The automated olfactory discrimination task provides a rigorous, operant-based assessment of olfactory sensory function, perceptual acuity, and odor learning in rodents.
9 parametersZebrafish Rheotaxis Assay
The zebrafish rheotaxis assay measures the innate orientation and locomotor response of zebrafish to water flow, providing a quantitative readout of lateral line mechanosensory function, vestibular processing, and sensorimotor integration.
8 parametersReady to Automate Your Sensory & Pain Protocols?
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