A procedure to enhance auditory brainstem response reliability in unrestrained rats.
We describe a procedure to record auditory evoked potentials in unrestrained rats. A key feature of this procedure is the attachment of a miniature speaker to the rat's head during recording, so that the distance between the speaker and the rat's ear is held constant. A speaker base is permanently attached to the acrylic supporting the electrode connector. This system enables the recording of reliable auditory evoked potentials over long periods of time with minimal concern for the rat's position or posture.
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D051381:Rats