Open(G)PIAS: An Open-Source Solution for the Construction of a High-Precision Acoustic Startle Response Setup for Tinnitus Screening and Threshold Estimation in Rodents

Abstract

The modulation of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) by a pre-stimulus called pre-pulse inhibition (PPI, for gap of silence pre-stimulus: GPIAS) is a versatile tool to, e.g., estimate hearing thresholds or identify subjective tinnitus percepts in rodents. A proper application of these paradigms depends on a reliable measurement of the ASR amplitudes and an exact stimulus presentation in terms of frequency and intensity. Here, we introduce a novel open-source solution for the construction of a low-cost ASR setup. The complete software for data acquisition and stimulus presentation is written in Python 3.6 and is provided as an Anaconda package. Furthermore, we provide a construction plan for the sensor system based on low-cost hardware components. Exemplary GPIAS data from two animal models ( Mus musculus, Meriones unguiculatus ) show that the ratio histograms (1-GPIAS) of the gap-pre-stimulus and no pre-stimulus ASR amplitudes can be well described by a log-normal distribution being in good accordance to previous studies with already established setups. Furthermore, it can be shown that the PPI as a function of pre-stimulus intensity (threshold paradigm) can be approximated with a hard-sigmoid function enabling a reproducible sensory threshold estimation. Thus, we show that the open-source solution could help to further establish the ASR method in many laboratories and, thus, facilitate and standardize research in animal models of tinnitus and/or hearing loss.

Simulated transient hearing loss improves auditory sensitivity

“…Putative perception of phantom sounds was assessed with the gap pre-pulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex (GPIAS) paradigm 33 using a custom made setup 37 . Briefly, the animals were placed in a transparent acrylic tube (length 10 cm, inner diameter 4.3 cm) which was positioned at a distance of 10 cm in front of two loudspeakers, one for the moderate background noise and one for the startle stimulus.…”

Leveraging open hardware to alleviate the burden of COVID-19 on global health systems

“…Increasingly over recent years, scientists, engineers and hobbyists alike have jointly developed and tested an impressive array of open source and state-of-the art tools that in one way or another touch all aspects of modern biology, medicine and disaster response (e.g., [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]). For example, in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Safecast [9] developed FOSH Geiger counters alongside an open access logging system which led to a massive citizenscience driven map of nuclear contamination in the region [9].…”

Salicylate-Induced Changes in Hearing Thresholds in Mongolian Gerbils Are Correlated With Tinnitus Frequency but Not With Tinnitus Strength

“…Sound pressure level (SPL) was calibrated, using a condenser microphone (Brüel and Kjaer Type 4190) via a preamplifier (Brüel and Kjaer Type 2669) and a measuring amplifier (Brüel and Kjaer Type 2610). Stimulus generation and data acquisition used custom-made programs (Python, Version 3.6.0) (Gerum et al, 2019). As startle amplitudes tend to be higher for the first few trials, five startle stimuli were presented before the beginning of each measurement to rule out strong habituation effects.…”