Endpoint methods library
Plantar thermal nociception endpoint

Hargreaves paw withdrawal latency

Time from radiant heat application under the hind paw to paw withdrawal during plantar thermal testing.

Unit
seconds
Readout
Latency from plantar heat onset to hind paw withdrawal
Assays
Hargreaves plantar test, inflammatory hyperalgesia, neuropathic pain, unilateral injury models

Decision summary

Use Hargreaves latency when the research question involves plantar heat hypersensitivity, paw-side asymmetry, inflammatory pain, or neuropathic pain models. The endpoint is strongest when left and right paw rules, baseline latency, glass temperature, radiant heat intensity, and withdrawal criteria are locked before testing.

Primary valueLatency from plantar heat onset to hind paw withdrawal
Common unitsSeconds, with separate left and right paw means when relevant
Compatible assaysHargreaves plantar test, inflammatory hyperalgesia, neuropathic pain, unilateral injury models
Required boundaryPaw tested, heat intensity, glass temperature, withdrawal criterion, and cutoff
Do not infer aloneSpontaneous pain, mechanical allodynia, motor ability, or affective pain state

Measurement notes

Habituate animals on the glass surface and define a valid paw posture before starting a trial. Analyze paw side, trial order, and withdrawal definition consistently; asymmetry can be more informative than pooled latency in unilateral models.

Interpretation limit

Shorter latency can support heat hyperalgesia, but low baseline latency, poor habituation, guarding, paw placement, glass temperature, stimulus intensity, or motor impairment can shift values independently of nociceptive sensitivity.

Data capture

Store animal ID, paw side, trial number, heat intensity, glass temperature, cutoff, raw latency, clamped latency, baseline latency, side difference, valid posture flag, time since dose or injury, and exclusion notes.

Confound checks
  • Paw not flat on glass or animal moving during stimulus onset.
  • Glass temperature, radiant heat intensity, or focal alignment drift.
  • Unequal habituation or stress-induced guarding.
  • Pooling left and right paws when the model is unilateral.
  • Motor impairment, sedation, paw edema, or tissue injury changing withdrawal mechanics.
Reporting checklist
  • Stimulus source, heat intensity, glass temperature, cutoff, and paw-side schedule.
  • Habituation duration, trial count, inter-trial interval, and valid-posture rule.
  • Baseline latency, post-intervention window, and side-specific analysis plan.
  • Whether values were raw, cutoff-clamped, averaged, or converted to asymmetry.
  • Exclusion criteria for movement, guarding, misalignment, or tracking ambiguity.
  • Companion mechanical, spontaneous, gait, or weight-bearing endpoints when measured.
References

Evidence notes

Endpoint pages should cite the method literature behind the scored value and keep high-specificity protocol claims qualified unless the source supports them.

  1. Hargreaves K, Dubner R, Brown F, Flores C, Joris J. A new and sensitive method for measuring thermal nociception in cutaneous hyperalgesia. Pain. 1988. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(88)90026-7.
  2. Deuis JR, Dvorakova LS, Vetter I. Methods used to evaluate pain behaviors in rodents. Front Mol Neurosci. 2017. doi:10.3389/fnmol.2017.00284.

Related workflow paths

Endpoint articles link to adjacent products, software workflows, and sibling endpoints where the connection is useful and already routable.

Hargreaves latency calculator

Summarize left and right paw withdrawal latency and asymmetry.

Mechanical withdrawal threshold endpoint

Pair plantar heat latency with a mechanical sensitivity endpoint.

Hot plate latency endpoint

Compare focal plantar heat withdrawal with heated-surface latency.