High-intensity nociceptive stimuli minimize behavioral effects induced by restraining stress during the tail-flick test.

Analgesia following exposure to various stressors is a well-documented phenomenon. Restraint of an animal during the tail-flick test (TFT) represents a potent stressor that can induce both altered baseline latencies and enhanced response to opioids. The present study shows that the use of higher stimulus intensities during TFT minimizes the stress influences produced by restraint on the animal's response rendering the test more sensitive to the pharmacological action of analgesic drugs.