The acoustic startle response as an effective model for elucidating the effect of genes on the neural mechanism of behavior in mice.

One current approach in investigating the neural basis of behavior is to use mutant mice with specific genetic alterations which affect neural functions. We are convinced that this approach is only effective if a behavioral model with sufficiently known underlying neuronal mechanisms is used. We present a model system which is well-suited for the above approach. Because the neural basis is known in great detail, in the startle system behavioral results can be very well interpreted. This is demonstrated here by using footshock sensitization of the acoustic startle response (ASR) as an example. Sensitization is elicited by aversive stimuli such as electric footshocks and causes an increase in ASR amplitude. The present experiment showed that this ASR increase is not due to a drop in the startle threshold but to increased gain in the response to suprathreshold stimuli. This makes it possible to draw conclusions about the neuronal site of the startle threshold in the startle pathway and the synapse at which the gain shift during sensitization occurs. The possibility of interpreting behavioral output on a well known neural basis (as demonstrated here) makes the ASR a promising model system for investigating (neuro-) genetic influences of behavior.