Abstract
A microcomputer-controlled system has been designed for measuring reactivity in small laboratory animals. This system uses a microcomputer to trigger an acoustic signal, which is fed to a loudspeaker through an audio power amplifier. An animal’s acoustic startle response is recorded using a moving-coil loudspeaker as a movement transducer. The transducer output is coupled to a peak-hold circuit that records the maximum voltage generated by the animal’s response. After conversion to digital form, the data for each stimulus presentation are stored and then printed when all trials have been completed.
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The development of the apparatus was supported by USPHS Grant MH17691 to Donald J. Jenden, whose helpful comments during the design of the apparatus and preparation of this report we wish to acknowledge. We also thank Ruth Booth and Sharlene Lauretz for their assistance in obtaining the data presented, Holly Batal for preparation of the manuscript, and James Randklev for his photography.
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Silverman, R.W., Chang, A.S. & Russell, R.W. A microcomputer-controlled system for measuring reactivity in small animals. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 20, 495–498 (1988). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202703
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202703