We present an operant system for the detection of pain in awake, conscious rodents. The
Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) assesses pain behaviors in a more clinically
relevant way by not relying on reflex-based measures of nociception. Food fasted, hairless
(or shaved) rodents are placed into a Plexiglas chamber which has two Peltier-based
thermodes that can be programmed to any temperature between 7° C and 60° C. The rodent
is trained to make contact with these in order to access a reward bottle. During a session, a …