The effect of parvalbumin deficiency on the acoustic startle response and prepulse inhibition in mice

The strength of the acoustic startle response (ASR) to short bursts of broadband noise or tone pips (4, 8 and 16 kHz) and the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the ASR elicited by prepulse tones (4, 8 and 16 kHz) were measured in parvalbumin-deficient (PV−/−) mice and in age-matched PV+/+ mice as controls. Hearing thresholds as determined from recordings of auditory brainstem responses were found to be similar in both genotypes. The ASRs to broadband noise and tones of low and middle frequencies were stronger than the ASRs in response to high-frequency tones in both groups. In PV−/− mice, we observed smaller ASR amplitudes in response to relatively weak startling stimuli (80-90 dB sound pressure level (SPL)) of either broadband noise or 8-kHz tones compared to those recorded in PV+/+ mice. For these startling stimuli, PV−/− mice had higher ASR thresholds and longer ASR latencies. PPI of the ASR in PV−/− mice was less effective than in PV+/+ mice, for all tested prepulse frequencies (4, 8 or 16 kHz) at 70 dB SPL. Our findings demonstrate no effect of PV deficiency on hearing thresholds in PV−/− mice. However, the frequency-specific differences in the ASR and the significant reduction of PPI of ASR likely reflect specific changes of neuronal circuits, mainly inhibitory, in the auditory centers in PV-deficient mice.