Sound and Vibration as Research Variables in Terrestrial Vertebrate Models

Sound and vibration have been shown to alter animal behavior and induce physiological changes as well as to cause effects at the cellular and molecular level. For these reasons, both environmental factors have a considerable potential to alter research outcomes when the outcome of the study is dependent on the animal existing in a normal or predictable biological state. Determining the specific levels of sound or vibration that will alter research is complex, as species will respond to different frequencies and have varying frequencies where they are most sensitive. In consideration of the potential of these factors to alter research, a thorough review of the literature and the conditions that likely exist in the research facility should occur specific to each research study. This review will summarize the fundamental physical properties of sound and vibration in relation to deriving maximal level standards, consider the sources of exposure, review the effects on animals, and discuss means by which the adverse effects of these factors can be mitigated.