Pre-Pulse Inhibition of Startle Reflex (PPI)

Name: Pre-Pulse Inhibition of Startle Reflex (PPI)
Brand: Ugo Basile
SKU: 48162/48163

Product Code:48162/48163

Category: Behaviour, Conditioning, Reward

Pre-pulse inhibition of the Startle reflex (PPI) is a phenomenon in which a weak stimulus (sound or light, or air-puff) suppress the startle response to a subsequent stronger startle stimulus (of the same kind).

The interest in this technique is mainly due to the fact that impairment in PPI is normally linked to a dysfunction in the sensorimotor mechanism, which has been shown in patients with psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorders and Huntington’s disease.

The Ugo Basile system can work with pre-pulses and pulse stimuli of several kinds (white noise, frequency noise, light, air puff). A PC software allows for flexible programming of any kind of procedure with randomizations and seamless data capture.

Customizable, complete set up, ready to go. Includes controller, Startle Link-Box, Isolation Cubicles, Stimulating/Recording Platform.

Different enclosures accommodate for different mice sizes and rat holders are available on request.

Detailed description +-

Background

The Startle/PPI system is a valuable tool to reproduce symptoms (or at least responses) of complex human disorders, such as schizophrenia, which show a dysfunction in the sensorimotor mechanism.
Sensorimotor gating refers to the ability of a sensory event to suppress or decrease a motor response, in this case, a startle response
As data analysis, the pulse alone startle reflex provides an index of the animal reaction to the startle pulse in terms of maximal peak, the pre-pulse alone startle reflex provides an index of the animal reaction to the pre-pulse startle in terms of maximal peak and the %PPI indicates the inhibition of the startle reflex.
The %PPI is calculated as the decrease of the startle response after the pre-pulse is delivered, divided by the startle amplitude and is calculated for each of the pulse intensities).

Complete set up, ready to go

The Ugo Basile system is fully automated both for the preparation of the procedure and for the analysis of data. Main features include:

Automatic detection of Startle Reflex in mice
Complete set up, ready to start your tests. Customizable to suit your needs. A typical system combines the following elements:
- Dedicated Software
- Up to 4 Isolation Cubicles that includes an infrared (I.R.) light, a loudspeaker and a noiseless fan, all conveniently positioned inside the sound attenuating box
- Stimulating/Recording (S/R) Platform (includes the light, speaker and detection system)
Multiple Animal Boxes to match animal dimension
Flexible testing, easy to set up. Simply define trial number, sound and light stimulus and timing of experimental sequences (all fully randomizable):
- Pulse
- Pre-pulse
- Inter-Pulse Interval
- Inter-Stimulus Interval

Features & Benefits +-

Features	Benefits
Maximum Flexibility, full event randomization	Configure your own Experimental Schedules directly on your PC
User-friendly software included	Exceptional flexibility and intuitivity in the software protocol building
Multiple stimuli	The user can decide to use pre-pulses and pulses with white noise, frequency noise, light, air puff
Multiple cage system	High throughput with up to 4 cages running at the same time

Specifications +-

General
Power Requirements	Universal input 100-240 VAC, 50-60Hz, 60W
Sound Level + Whitenoise
Operating environment	10°C to 40°C; 5% to 95% RH (non-condensing)
Operation
Sound Range	From 65 dB to 120 dB
Pulse/pre pulse sound range (at 3KHz)	From 65 dB to 120 dB
Modulated Sound Frequency Range	From 100 Hz to 18 KHz
Airpuff	Air Puff stimulus complete system add-on
IR Light	0-100% (Environment)
Flash Light	0-100% (20K Lux) S/R Platform)
Data Export	.csv, .xlsx format
Number of cages	Up to 4
Physical
Dimensions	25(d)x33(w)x5.5(h)cm (40500-001)
Internal Dimensions	Small Mouse: ID 84x34x39(h)mm Large Mouse: ID 84x39x44(h)mm
Weight	2.7Kg
Shipping Weight	Mouse Single-Cage Set-Up: 40Kg
Packing Dimensions	82x71x57cm (wooden crate) for a Mouse Single-Cage Set-up
Warranty
Warranty	Startle PPI is covered by a 12-month warranty + 12 after product registration
UB-Care	Additional UB-Care can be added for other 12 or 24 months

Application +-

The test takes place in a sound proof and ventilated cubicle with a background noise. Pulses and pre-pulses consist of white noise and frequency sounds, lights or air-puffs.

The animal is restrained in a Plexiglas tube sitting on a force sensor or using an accelerometer to detect the startle response. Dedicated software analyses data automatically, as startle response amplitude and %PPI.

The various procedures expose the animals to “Trials” of different nature:

Pulse alone trial: only the strong stimulus is presented
Pre-pulse alone trial: only the weak stimulus is presented
Pre-pulse-pulse trial: the strong stimulus is preceded by the weak (pre-pulse) stimulus
No-stim trials: no stimulus is delivered but the response of the animal is recorded to serve as a baseline

Several clinical studies have shown that a number of human disorders have impaired PPI including: schizophrenia, Huntington’s disease, fragile X syndrome, and autism. Utilization of Startle PPI tests in rodents has a translational value to assess the effects of a number of treatment modalities such as putative anti-psychotics, and to explore genetic and neurobiological mechanisms underlying behaviors of relevance to psychosis

Ordering informations +-

48163 Startle/PPI System for Mice, single cage system
48006	Stimulating/Recording Platform for Mouse
48003-330	Startle PPI Large cilindrical mouse restrainer (up to 75g)
48003-340	Startle PPI Medium cilindrical mouse restrainer (up to 50g)
48003-350	Startle PPI Small cilindrical mouse restrainer (up to 25g)
46000-596	Isolation Cubicle for behavioral cages, inside dimensions 48,5(w)x38,5(d)x48,5(h) cm, sound proof ONLY with sound proof ventilation
52010-323	USB stick, including instruction manual
48253 STARTLE/PPI SYSTEM FOR MICE, two-cage system
48006		Stimulating/Recording Platform for Mouse
48000-320		Small Mouse Box
48000-322		Large Mouse Box
48163-150		Startle BOX for Startle/PPI system
46000-596		Isolation Cubicle for Behavioral Cages, inside dimensions 48,5(w)x38,5(d)x48,5(h) cm, sound proof ONLY with sound proof ventilation
52010-323		USB stick, including instruction manual
48453 STARTLE/PPI SYSTEM FOR MICE, four-cage system
48006		Stimulating/Recording Platform for Mouse
48000-320		Small Mouse Box
48000-322		Large Mouse Box
48163-150		Startle BOX for Startle/PPI system
46000-596		Isolation Cubicle for Behavioral Cages, inside dimensions 48,5(w) x 38,5(d) x 48,5(h) cm, sound proof ONLY with sound proof ventilation
52010-323		USB stick including instruction manual
Options
48000-204		AirPuff Stimuli

Main References +-

M. Koch: “The Neurobiology of Startle” Prog Neurobiol. 59(2):107-28, 1999

D. Braff et alia: “Human Studies of Prepulse Inhibition of Startle: Normal Subjects, Patient Groups, and Pharmacological Studies” Psychopharmacology 156(2): 234-258., 2001

H.S. Hoffman et al.: “Startle Reaction: Modification By Background Acoustic Stimulation” Science 141: 928-30, 1963

R.R. Marsh et alia: “The Role of Small Changes in the Acoustic Environment in Modifying the Startle Reflex” J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process, 1(3): 1975

All References +-