Plantar Test (Hargreaves test)

Description

The Plantar Test, based on the Hargreaves method, is a standard procedure for evaluating thermal pain thresholds in laboratory animals. This analgesia meter from IITC Life Science is engineered for this specific application, known as the paw withdrawal test. It is commonly used in research on thermal hyperalgesia, a condition of increased pain sensitivity from a heat stimulus that often models neuropathic or inflammatory pain states. The system employs a visible light source to deliver a precise thermal stimulus to the plantar surface of a rodent's hind paw. The use of visible light, as opposed to infrared, offers certain operational advantages, including a clear visual cue for the operator and potentially reduced interference with some experimental paradigms. The device automatically measures the time interval between stimulus onset and the animal's reflexive withdrawal response, providing quantitative data for analysis.