The Subject
Planning or setting up your ABR experiment must begin with an understanding of the subject's
normal hearing range and factors that might have an effect on its response or recording. ABRs
have been measured for many species. In this guide, we'll focus on the three most common
species used in ABR experiments and screening protocols: mice, rats, and guinea pigs.
Expected Hearing Range
ABR tests are typically focused on the range in which the species is commonly known to hear
well.
Subject
Standard Testing Range
Typical Threshold Range
Mice
4 kHz to 32/48 kHz
> 25 - 30 dB at 16 kHz
Rats
> 4 kHz to 24/32 kHz
> 30 dB at 16 kHz
Guinea Pigs
> 1 kHz to 18 kHz
> 30 dB at 8 kHz
The hearing range of laboratory subjects may vary across different strains or colonies and can be affected by age,
the environment, and anesthesia.
Note
The Subject | 9