Testing Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

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.