Pre-Pulse Inhibition Starter Package

The startle paradigm is used to study fear and anxiety in laboratory animals. Although the underlying circuits and systems controlling fear and anxiety are complex, the startle paradigm itself is relatively simple: a form of Pavlovian conditioning where a central state of fear is inferred from an animal’s behavioral response. This is done by measuring the amplitude of a simple brainstem reflex (acoustic startle reflex) in the presence of a cue (conditioned stimulus) previously paired with a mild foot shock (unconditioned stimulus).

For example, when animals are repeatedly presented with a neutral stimulus (light flash, tone, odor, etc.) followed by a brief foot shock, the animal comes to associate the presentation of the cue with an impending aversive event (the shock). Eventually, presentation of the cue in the absence of the shock comes to elicit a state of fear.

The cages are positioned on a sensitive load-cell device that transduces movement in the cage into an electrical signal that is amplified and quantified in arbitrary startle units.

• Set up programs for:
  • Prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI)
  • Fear-potentiated startle (FPS)
• Run up to eight test stations from a single computer
• Flexible stimulus presentation – auditory, visual, aversive stimulation, or any auxiliary device controllable by 28 V DC
  • Four outputs to control a startle stimulus light and/or aversive stimulus (such as air puff)
• Designed to require minimal cabling between the connection panel, programmable audio generator, and audio amplifier
• Designed to be economical & easy to expand, as each chamber has its own audio amplifier
• Data collected during the experiment is collected by the included Startle Reflex, PPI, and FPS software
• Sound level calibration from the animal’s position in the holder

• Note: The SAC’s textured foam (pictured) has been replaced by smooth and flat micro-cell foam.