Data_Sheet_2_Quantifying the Acoustic Startle Response in Mice Using Standard Digital Video.xlsx

The startle response is an unconditional reflex, characterized by the rapid contraction of facial and skeletal muscles, to a sudden and intense startling stimulus. It is an especially useful tool in translational research for its consistency across species, simple neural circuitry, and sensitivity to a variety of experimental manipulations. The rodent acoustic startle response is commonly used to study fundamental properties of the central nervous system, including habituation, sensitization, classical conditioning, fear and anxiety, sensorimotor gating, and drug effects. The rodent startle response is typically assessed in stabilimeter chambers, and while these systems are excellent at measuring startle, they are designed only for this sole purpose. In the present study, we used the VideoFreeze system—a widely used tool for studying Pavlovian fear conditioning—to assess the acoustic startle response in freely moving mice. We validated the use of this system to quantify startle response amplitude and prepulse inhibition of startle. This is the first demonstration to date of using standard video in the automated assessment of the acoustic startle response in rodents. We believe that researchers already using the VideoFreeze system will benefit from the additional ability to assess startle without the purchase of new equipment.

惊反射（startle response）是一类非条件反射，指机体受到突发强烈惊吓刺激时，面部与骨骼肌快速收缩的反应。该反射因跨物种一致性良好、神经环路简洁，且对多种实验操作具备敏感性，成为转化研究中极具应用价值的工具。啮齿类听觉惊反射（rodent acoustic startle response）常被用于探究中枢神经系统的多项基本特性，涵盖习惯化、敏化、经典条件反射、恐惧与焦虑、感觉运动门控以及药物效应等方向。传统的啮齿类惊反射评估通常在稳定仪舱（stabilimeter chambers）中进行，尽管此类系统在惊反射测量上表现出色，但仅能服务于该单一用途。本研究采用VideoFreeze系统——一款广泛应用于巴甫洛夫恐惧条件反射研究的工具——对自由活动小鼠的听觉惊反射进行评估。我们验证了该系统可用于量化惊反射幅度以及惊反射的前脉冲抑制（prepulse inhibition）。截至目前，本研究首次证实可通过标准视频自动化评估啮齿类听觉惊反射。我们认为，已部署VideoFreeze系统的研究人员将能够借助新增的惊反射评估功能，无需额外购置新设备即可开展相关实验。