Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Measurements in Small Mammals

Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) are evoked potentials that are measured from the scalp and reflect the activity of the auditory neurons in the auditory pathway in response to sound stimuli. ABR has been widely used in clinics and laboratories to assess neural pathologies and hearing status in subjects. Given its noninvasiveness, reliability, sensitivity, and relatively high-throughput nature, ABR test is an excellent tool for examining hearing status and integrity of the auditory pathway in laboratory mice. The goal of this chapter is to provide users with general ABR procedural methods and key considerations critical in obtaining reliable ABR measurements in small mammals. The protocol presented here focuses on mice as an example, but the general principles can be extended with minor modification to other species such as rats, hamsters, and bats.