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The startle response and toxicology: Methods, use and interpretation.
Citation:
CROFTON, K. M. AND A. Li. The startle response and toxicology: Methods, use and interpretation. Presented at Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference, Cincinnati, OH, April 14 - 17, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
This paper will review methods used to measure SR and RM, with emphasis on practical experimental considerations in the conduct, analyses, and interpretation of acoustic startle habituation data from regulatory studies.
Description:
The startle response (SR) is a sensory-evoked motor reflex that has been used successfully in toxicology for decades. Advantages of this procedure include: rapidly objective measurement of a defined neural circuit, measurement of habituation of the response, and a high potential for interspecies extrapolation. Reflex modification (RM) paradigms can be used to directly assess multiple sensory modalities, differentiate sensory from motor impairment, and can be done without the need for prior training or invasive surgery. One challenge in RM testing is the need for specialized equipment and additional expertise, including knowledge of acoustical psychophysics. Acoustic SR and RM are used extensively in both neuroscience and neurotoxicology research. The auditory startle habituation is the most frequently used startle study design for regulatory testing. It is required as part of the developmental neurotoxicity test guideline (DNT) for industrial chemicals and pesticides [U.S. EPA, OPPTS 870.6300], and is sometimes used in perinatal/postnatal segment III studies for pharmaceuticals (ICH S5A). This paper will review methods used to measure SR and RM, with emphasis on practical experimental considerations in the conduct, analyses, and interpretation of acoustic startle habituation data from regulatory studies. (This abstract does not represent USEPA policy)