Auditory thresholds and kanamycin-induced hearing loss in the guinea pig assessed by a positive reinforcement procedure.

Absolute thresholds from 125 Hz to 52 kHz are determined for six guinea pigs trained by a positive reinforcement method. Four to five hundred trials were conducted during daily testing sessions and little between- or within-subject variability was found. Two of the six animals were subsequently treated with kanamycin and the development of a hearing loss for the high frequencies was followed. Loss of outer and to a lesser extent inner hair cells was well correlated with the threshold shift observed. Contrary to the experience of previous investigators, this operant training procedure has proved as efficient as that for other species of experimental animals, such as the monkey and the chinchilla. It holds excellent promise for future auditory behavioral work with the guinea pig.