The Pole Test is used to assess basal ganglia related movement disorders in mice.
Animals are placed head-up on top of a vertical wooden pole. The base of the pole is placed in a cage filled with bedding material. When placed on the pole, animals orient themselves downward and descend the length of the pole back into the cage. After two days of training, animals receive five test trials.
The time to orient downward and total time to descend are measured.