Pole test

The pole test was performed as described elsewhere¹⁷, with minor modifications. The mouse was placed head upward on top of a wooden rough-surfaced pole (diameter 1 cm, height 70 cm). Each mouse was habituated to the pole for two days prior to testing, then allowed to descend five times in a single session. Two parameters were measured. First T-total: total time spent by the mouse to reach the floor with the four paws; secondly, T-turn: time spent by the animal to completely turn downwards during descent from the pole. If the mouse was unable to completely turn downwards or fell or slipped down from the pole, the max default value of 120 seconds was assigned.