The Thermal Gradient Test has been described in Moqrich et al. 2005, and is one of the very few thermal nociception tests to be operator independent on freely moving rodents (mice and rat). A continuous temperature gradient (-4 to 65°C) is established over a 120 cm long base plate, on which the animal is free to walk. After the exploration period the rodent (mouse or rat) shows a distinct zone preference, or comfort zone.

Bioseb has defined an automated instrument for your research on analgesia and nociception (especially suitable for research on alodynia), with a temperature gradient stable over the surface and over time, allowing to identify the preferred temperature zone. Two instruments models will test independently and simultaneously 2 mice or small rats (1 adult rat).

The accompanying software, coupled to a video camera, displays for each animal the time spent per time period in each temperature zone, together with overall travelled distance.

The encrypted data and the video images are recorded synchronously in real time during the nociception experiments. This allows the operator to replay and check the animal behaviour at any time and remotely, and also to comply with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).

This behavioral assay will allow monitoring of temperature preferences, nociceptive thresholds and investigate the role of a given gene or compound on these thresholds.