Measurement notes
Define whether the timer starts at placement or release. Separate failure-to-turn, sliding, falling, and freezing from valid slow descents so timeout values do not hide distinct behaviors.
Endpoint methods library
Bradykinesia and motor coordination endpoint
Pole test turn/descent latency
Time to orient downward and descend a vertical pole during a task used to assess movement initiation and coordination.
Unit
seconds
Readout
Time to turn downward and/or descend to the base of the pole
Assays
Pole test, Parkinsonian lesion models, bradykinesia screens, motor recovery studies
Decision summary
Use pole-test latency when the study needs a compact readout of movement initiation, turning, descent coordination, or Parkinsonian motor impairment. Report turn latency and descent latency separately when possible because each can fail for different reasons.
| Primary value | Time to turn downward and/or descend to the base of the pole |
|---|---|
| Common units | Seconds for turn latency, descent latency, and total latency |
| Compatible assays | Pole test, Parkinsonian lesion models, bradykinesia screens, motor recovery studies |
| Required boundary | Start placement, turn criterion, descent endpoint, and cutoff rule |
| Do not infer alone | Dopamine function, strength, balance, or cognition without companion controls |
Interpretation limit
Longer latency can support bradykinesia or impaired coordination, but gripping strategy, body weight, anxiety, pole texture, training, visual cues, and sedation can also slow turning or descent.
Data capture
Store animal ID, pole diameter, pole height, surface wrap, trial number, start orientation, turn latency, descent latency, total latency, cutoff flag, fall flag, training history, and scorer notes.
Confound checks
- Pole diameter, surface texture, or height differs across cohorts.
- Animals slide, fall, freeze, climb upward, or rotate without descending.
- Unequal training changes confidence or descent strategy.
- Sedation, weakness, body weight, paw injury, or grip abnormality affects descent.
- Timing starts at different placement or release moments.
Reporting checklist
- Pole dimensions, surface material, height, start orientation, and placement procedure.
- Turn criterion, descent endpoint, maximum trial duration, and timeout handling.
- Training and habituation schedule, trial count, and inter-trial interval.
- Separate turn, descent, and total latencies when recorded.
- Rules for falls, sliding, freezing, upward climbing, and incomplete descents.
- Companion endpoints such as rotarod, gait, grip strength, open-field distance, or beam walking.
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.
- Matsuura K, Kabuto H, Makino H, Ogawa N. Pole test is a useful method for evaluating the mouse movement disorder caused by striatal dopamine depletion. J Neurosci Methods. 1997.
- Brooks SP, Dunnett SB. Tests to assess motor phenotype in mice: a user's guide. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2009. doi:10.1038/nrn2652.
Related workflow paths
Endpoint articles link to adjacent products, software workflows, and sibling endpoints where the connection is useful and already routable.
