Protocols

Protocols can be created or loaded in the protocols module.

Currently two types of protocols are implemented: hearing threshold measurements and GPIAS measurements.

All measurements are divided in multiple trials, all ending with a startle-stimulus. At the beginning of each measurement, five trials without pre-stimulus are presented, to get the animal used to the startle-stimuli.

The trials in each protocol are randomized to prevent habituation effects of the animal.

Hearing threshold

For hearing threshold measurements, each trial can have a pre-stimulus in the form of a short (40 ms) pure tone 100 ms before the startle stimulus. For the protocol a frequency range (octave, 1/2 octave or 1/4 octave steps), a sound pressure level range and a repetition count can be specified.

GPIAS

For GPIAS measurements, each trial consists of a noise stimulus presented before the startle-stimulus. The noise can be interrupted by a short (50 ms, flattened with 20 ms sin²-ramps) gap of silence. The noise can be broad band or a frequency band centered around one frequency (other options will be implemented). For each measurement different center frequencies, as well as the number of measurement repetitions per stimulus condition can be specified.