- PII
- S2658655X25010121-1
- DOI
- 10.7868/S2658655X25010121
- Publication type
- Article
- Status
- Published
- Authors
- Volume/ Edition
- Volume 111 / Issue number 1
- Pages
- 183-192
- Abstract
- The natural fear reflex, characteristic of both animals and humans, is a short and intense defensive reaction in response to a strong and unexpected external stimulus. In experiments, this reflex is often triggered by a strong and short sound stimulus (acoustic flinch reflex – ASR). The amplitude of the ASR and the degree of its dependence on modulating factors, such as a previous weak stimulus (prepulse), serve as markers of the state of sensorimotor gating and are widely used in neuropsychiatry and neurophysiology to assess disorders of mental functions. The magnitude of the ASR amplitude is a critical evaluation factor, and the accuracy of its determination depends on taking into account many technical conditions: the design of the experimental installation, the type and location of the mechanical-electrical sensor, the method of digitization and presentation of primary data, the protocol of the experiment, etc. This issue presents a methodological development for measuring ASR and its prepulse inhibition (PPI), which includes an original working camera, hardware and software, as well as an optimal testing protocol. During validation the technique on a group of outbred rats (Wistar), it was found that (1) the technique allows us to assess the heterogeneity of the group by the amplitude of ASR and conduct appropriate phenotypic clustering, and (2) repeated, after 7 days, testing of ASR and PPI in the same animals does not violate their initial clustering and does not significantly changes the measured parameters. These observations allow us to consider the methodology applicable for sequential testing of one group of animals before and after any experimental exposure, taking into account the dependence of the result on the cluster membership of the subgroups determined during the first test.
- Keywords
- акустический стартл-рефлекс протокол тестирования аппаратно-программные средства автоматизация эксперимента поведенческое фенотипирование крысы Wistar
- Date of publication
- 17.01.2025
- Year of publication
- 2025
- Number of purchasers
- 0
- Views
- 71
References
- 1. Koch M (1999) The neurobiology of startle. Progress Neurobiol 59(2): 107–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0301-0082 (98)00098-7
- 2. Gómez-Nieto R, Hormigo S, López DE (2020) Prepulse Inhibition of the Auditory Startle Reflex Assessment as a Hallmark of Brainstem Sensorimotor Gating Mechanisms. Brain Sci 10(9): 639. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10090639
- 3. Graham FK (1975) Presidential Address, 1974. The more or less startling effects of weak prestimulation. Psychophysiology 12(3): 238–248. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1975.tb01284.x
- 4. Zheng A, Mann RS, Solaja D, Allman BL, Schmid S (2024) Properties of the Caudal Pontine Reticular Nucleus Neurons Determine the Acoustic Startle Response in Cntnap2 KO Rats. J Integrat Neurosci 23(3): 63. https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2303063
- 5. Braff DL, Light GA, Ellwanger J, Sprock J, Swerdlow NR (2005) Female schizophrenia patients have prepulse inhibition deficits. Biol Psychiatry 57: 817–820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.12.030
- 6. Ahmari SE, Risbrough VB, Geyer MA, Simpson HB (2012) Impaired sensorimotor gating in unmedicated adults with obsessive compulsive disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 37: 1216–1223. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2011.308
- 7. Cheng CH, Chan PS, Hsu SC, Liu CY (2018) Meta-analysis of sensorimotor gating in patients with autism spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Res 262: 413–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.09.016
- 8. Pineles SL, Blumenthal TD, Curreri AJ, Nillni YI, Putnam KM, Resick PA, Rasmusson AM, Orr SP (2016) Prepulse inhibition deficits in women with PTSD. Psychophysiology 53: 1377–1385. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12679
- 9. Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH (2020) Prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex and P50 gating in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 59: 101028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2020.101028
- 10. Swerdlow NR, Light GA (2016) Animal models of deficient sensorimotor gating in schizophrenia: are they still relevant? Curr Topics Behav Neurosci 28: 305–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2015_5012
- 11. Miller EA, Kastner DB, Grzybowski MN, Dwinell MR, Geurts AM, Frank LM (2021) Robust and Replicable Measurement for Prepulse Inhibition of the Acoustic Startle Response. Mol Psychiatry 26: 1909–1927. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-0703-y
- 12. Hormigo S, López DE (2019) Adjustment of the data acquisition window for the assessment of sensorimotor gating mechanisms in rodents. MethodsX 6: 2046–2051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2019.09.007
- 13. Pelevin A, Kurzina N, Zavialov V, Volnova A (2023) A Custom Solution for Acoustic Startle Response Setup with Spike2-Based Data Acquisition Interface. Methods and Protocols 6(3): 57. https://doi.org/10.3390/mps6030057
- 14. Чихман ВН, Солнушкин СД, Смирнов ВЮ, Молодцов ВО (2024) Измерение параметров рефлекторного вздрагивания Биомед радиоэлектрон 27(1): 64–70. [Chikhman VN, Solnushkin SD, Smirnov VYu, Molodtsov VO (2024) Measurement of startle reflex. Biomed Radioengineer 27(1): 64–70. (In Russ)]. https://doi.org/10.18127/j15604136-202401-08
