Burrowing Test
Objective: Assessment of spontaneous pain-like behaviors by measuring burrowing activity as a non-stimulus evoked nociception indicator
This is a Burrowing Test protocol using rodents (mice and rats) as the model organism. The procedure involves 3 procedural steps, 1 equipment items. Extracted from a 2017 paper published in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
rodents (mice and rats) • not specified • unknown • not specified • not specified
Study window
Estimated timing pending
Core workflow
Identify burrowing as non-stimulus evoked nociception assessment • Place animal in burrowing apparatus • Observe and measure burrowing activity
Primary readouts
- Burrowing activity level
- Spontaneous pain-like behaviors
- Non-stimulus evoked nociception indicators
Key equipment and reagents
Verified items
0
Direct vendor links
0
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Protocol Steps
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Identify burrowing as non-stimulus evoked nociception assessment
Recognize burrowing as a spontaneous pain-like behavior measurement method that does not require application of external stimulus
Note: Burrowing is classified as a non-stimulus evoked (spontaneous) nociception method, contrasting with stimulus-evoked methods
View evidence from paper
“concerns over the clinical translatability of stimulus-evoked nociception in recent years has led to the development and increasing implementation of non-stimulus evoked methods, such as grimace scales, burrowing, weight bearing and gait analysis”
Place animal in burrowing apparatus
Position rodent in appropriate cage or container designed to allow burrowing behavior assessment
Note: Specific apparatus design and dimensions not detailed in this review article
View evidence from paper
“burrowing, weight bearing and gait analysis. This review article provides an overview, as well as discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used behavioral methods of stimulus-evoked and non-stimulus-evoked nociception used in rodents”
Observe and measure burrowing activity
Monitor spontaneous burrowing behavior as indicator of pain-like behaviors without applying external nociceptive stimulus
Note: This is a spontaneous behavior measurement, not evoked by external stimulus application
View evidence from paper
“pain cannot be directly measured in rodents, many methods that quantify pain-like behaviors or nociception have been developed. These behavioral methods can be divided into stimulus-evoked or non-stimulus evoked (spontaneous) nociception”