A rabbit preparation for neuro-behavioral auditory research.

Auditory thresholds were determined in rabbits by a classically conditioned nicitating membrane response established with a tone-conditioned stimulus and a shock-unconditioned stimulus. The audiograms obtained were comparable in shape and sensitivity to threshold curves measured for a variety of small mammals by other conditioning techniques. This procedure provides a quick and efficient method for measuring hearing sensitivity in a restrained preparation that permits precise stimulus control as well as providing an ideal situation for a variety of physiological studies of hearing in an awake, behaving animal.