31300 - Orofacial Stimulation Test (Fehrenbacher, Henry, Hargreaves method)

The Orofacial Stimulation Test by Ugo Basile measures hypersensitivity to thermal or mechanical stimulation of the trigeminal area.

Rats voluntarily contact a thermal or a mechanical stimulator with their vibrissal pad in order to access a food reward.

Metrics obtained are (1) the duration of feeding and (2) the number of feeding attempts, measured by interruption of an infrared beam traversing the opening to the reward. Feeding duration and number of attempts are strongly dependent on changes in the applied thermal or mechanical stimulus.

The Orofacial Stimulation Test by Ugo Basile measures hypersensitivity to thermal or mechanical stimulation of the trigeminal area.

Rats voluntarily contact a thermal or a mechanical stimulator with their vibrissal pad in order to access a food reward.

Metrics obtained are (1) the duration of feeding and (2) the number of feeding attempts, measured by interruption of an infrared beam traversing the opening to the reward. Feeding duration and number of attempts are strongly dependent on changes in the applied thermal or mechanical stimulus.

Orofacial pain problems are common and involve structures and mechanisms unique to the trigeminal nerve. Few methods are currently available for orofacial preclinical research, and none incorporates parallel measurement of mechanical or thermal stimulation within the same experiment. Most of the current assays measure unlearned behaviors, such as flinching or withdrawal reflexes.

The new Orofacial Stimulation Test, developed by Dr. Hargreaves and colleagues, integrates higher-order brain functions into measurements of orofacial nociception.

This innovative approach permits the parallel measurement of highly integrated nociceptive responses to thermal or mechanical stimulation.