Electronystagmography in the laboratory rat.

A method is described for obtaining electronystagmograms from the awake laboratory rat. Threshold valves for rotation impulse and oscillatory acceleration were determined, as well as the time constant for the horizontal semicircular canal. The time constant appeared to be small. This might be attributed to the rapid natural head movements in this species. No visual suppression of vestibular nystagmus was found in the rat.