Montoya Staircase Test
Montoya Staircase Test - Related Videos
06:48
The Staircase Procedure for Finding a Perceptual Threshold
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2023
Source: Laboratory of Jonathan Flombaum—Johns Hopkins University Psychophysics is the name for a set of methods in perceptual psychology designed in order to relate the actual intensity of stimuli to their perceptual intensity. One important aspect of psychophysics involves the measurement of perceptual thresholds: How bright does a light need to be for a person to be able to detect it? How little pressure applied to the skin is detectable? How soft can a sound be and still be heard? Put...
02:39
Staircase Test for Motor Function Assessment in a Hemiparkinsonian Rat
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2025
This video demonstrates the staircase test to assess motor function in a hemiparkinsonian rat with a right brain lesion. The lesion disrupts dopamine signaling, impairing left paw control, which results in more pellets remaining on the left stairs, indicating motor dysfunction.
07:14
A Novel Approach to Assess Motor Outcome of Deep Brain Stimulation Effects in the Hemiparkinsonian Rat: Staircase and Cylinder Test
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Cited by 7 •
2016
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment option for Parkinson's disease. We established a study design to screen novel stimulation paradigms in rats. The protocol describes the use of the staircase test and cylinder test for motor outcome assessment in DBS treated hemiparkinsonian rats.
07:28
Evolution of Staircase Structures in Diffusive Convection
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Cited by 1 •
2018
Diffusive convection (DC) widely occurs in natural processes and engineering applications, characterized by a series of staircases with homogeneous convecting layers and stratified interfaces. An experimental procedure is described to simulate the evolution process of the DC staircase structure, including the generation, development and disappearance, in a rectangular tank.
06:43
Desensitization and Recovery of Crayfish Photoreceptors Upon Delivery of a Light Stimulus
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Cited by 1 •
2019
A protocol for the study of desensitization and sensitivity recovery of crayfish photoreceptors as a function of circadian time is presented.
FAQs
The apparatus places pellets on progressively higher steps on each side, requiring the animal to extend and grasp with the corresponding forelimb. Limited access for the opposite limb helps separate performance between the two sides. This design makes side-specific differences in skilled reaching more apparent than a task in which both forelimbs can readily contribute.
These measures represent successive components of task performance rather than a single outcome. Reaching reflects the animal’s ability to extend toward a pellet, grasping indicates successful acquisition, and eating confirms retrieval. Comparing the counts can show where performance is reduced and provides a more detailed assessment of dexterity than recording only whether a pellet was obtained.
Because each side of the staircase corresponds to a particular forelimb, researchers can compare pellet performance between limbs within the same animal. A disparity in reaching, grasping, or eating may indicate unequal motor function after neural injury. Repeated side-specific measurements also allow investigators to determine whether an imbalance changes during recovery or after treatment.
Researchers place food pellets on the staircase steps on both sides and allow the rodent to attempt retrieval with the corresponding forelimbs. During the test, they record how many pellets are reached, grasped, and eaten for each side. Keeping the pellet arrangement and scoring categories consistent supports comparisons across animals, interventions, and testing sessions.
Repeated measurements can track functional changes in skilled forelimb movement over time. Increases or decreases in side-specific pellet counts may indicate altered dexterity or motor asymmetry, while comparisons between treated and untreated conditions can show whether an intervention is associated with different recovery patterns. The separate performance measures help characterize change rather than relying on a single endpoint.
The assay is useful when a study needs a behavioral measure of independent forelimb function, particularly after neural injury or during evaluation of a treatment. Its side-specific scores support comparisons of motor deficits between limbs and across experimental groups. Researchers can also use the resulting reaching, grasping, and eating data to relate interventions to changes in skilled movement.