The Preyer reflex--an easy estimate of hearing function in guinea pigs

Preyer reflex thresholds elicited monaurally by tone bursts from 0.25 to 8 kHz were determined in more than 150 guinea pig ears. Normal reflex thresholds were between 85 and 95 dB SPL in the low and middle frequencies, decreasing to 75 dB in the higher frequencies. The range of measurements at single frequencies usually did not exceed 10 dB. In unselected populations of adult guinea pigs, about half of the animals had increased reflex thresholds--at least unilaterally, in most cases due to middle ear infections. The Preyer reflex showed parallel threshold increase with compound action potential thresholds in conductive loss and recruitment in cochlear hearing loss. Normal Preyer reflex thresholds do not necessarily mean normal hearing, but increased thresholds do indicate hearing impairment. This technique is valuable in the selection and monitoring of animals for otologic experiments.