Testing Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Maarten van den Buuse; Emily J Jaehne

doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-3585-8_10

Testing Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Methods Mol Biol. 2024:2746:121-133. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3585-8_10.

Authors

Maarten van den Buuse¹, Emily J Jaehne²

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. [email protected].
² School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

PMID: 38070085
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3585-8_10

Abstract

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a measure of sensorimotor gating which is widely used in rodents to study information processing and attention dysfunction. PPI is commonly measured in rats and mice using automated equipment. Here, we present details of a PPI testing protocol extensively used in previous studies. The protocol includes a set pulse-alone startle level and prepulse-pulse combinations with varying interval and intensity. Variations of this protocol can be used depending on the experimental aim or equipment and software version.

Keywords: Behavior; Prepulse inhibition; Sensorimotor gating; Startle reflex.

MeSH terms

Acoustic Stimulation / methods
Acoustics
Animals
Mice
Prepulse Inhibition* / physiology
Rats
Reflex, Startle* / physiology
Rodentia