Thermal Place Preference for Mice and Rats

As advised by A. MOQRICH, and published in Moqrich et al (Science 2005, 307: 1468-72), the thermal place preference test (TPPT) was designed to finely assess thermal sensitivity in rodents. It can detect, quantify, and differentiate behavioral responses to cold stimuli between sham and chronic constriction injury (CCI) rodents.

The Thermal Place Preference Test, based on two Hot Cold Plate (Temperature range from -5°C to 65 °C)，allows researchers to work on free moving animals (Rats and Mice) to choose their preferred place between 2 compartments set a different temperature. Our TPPT adopts dynamic infrared scanning tracking technology to record the location of the rodents and automatically analyze the staying time and times in each compartment. TPPT enables a fine-grained assessment of thermal sensitivity that is relevant to the pathophysiological exploration of animal pain models and to the pharmacological assessment of analgesic drugs.

Application

Chronic constriction injury, Cold allodynia, Neuropathic pain, Analgesic drug screening.

OverviewThermal Place Preference Test, also call as 2 Temperatures Choice Nociception Test, can be considered as an evolution of the Hot Cold plate test, it is a test to study pain thresholds in rodents (mouse and rat) by assessing temperature preference.

Features and Benefits

Advantages

• Non-invasive and stress-free method for assessing pain perception
• Suitable for both mice and rats – adjust settings with ease
• Enhanced data accuracy with fully automated time/location tracking
• Real-time behavioral monitoring of thermal aversion or preference
• Flexible experimental design – explore a variety of temperature gaps and durations
• Clean digital output ready for statistical analysis

Q1: What is the difference between TPPT and the standard Hot Plate Test?
A: TPPT allows free movement and choice behavior, offering a more naturalistic and sensitive assessment of pain threshold, while the Hot Plate Test typically involves passive exposure.

Q2: Can I test both cold and heat sensitivity with TPPT?
A: Yes! Each plate can be set to a different temperature, allowing simultaneous evaluation of cold allodynia  and heat hyperalgesia.

Q3: Is the device suitable for both rats and mice?
A: Absolutely. The system supports both species, and experiment parameters can be adjusted accordingly.

Q4: How is data exported from the device?
A: Data is saved on a USB stick in CSV format, which can be opened directly in Excel or other analysis tools.

Q5: Does the system require a PC to operate?
A: No. The 8-inch touchscreen allows for standalone operation. However, for advanced analysis, you can export data to a PC.