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Updated: May 27, 2025
The Miniature Pig: A Large Animal Model for Cochlear Implant Research
Published on: July 28, 2022
Gap-induced inhibition of the post-auricular muscle response in miniature pigs
Hanwen Zhou1,2,3,4,5, Peng Liu1,2,3,4,5, Chi Zhang1,2,3,4,5
1Senior Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the 1th Medical Center of Chinese, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Background:
Tinnitus, a persistent condition that significantly impairs the quality of life for patients, poses a substantial burden on society. Owing to its complex and poorly understood pathogenesis, the development of effective animal models for tinnitus is imperative to enhance our comprehension of this condition.
Objectives:
The present study aims to establish a large animal model to delineate the mechanisms underlying the onset of tinnitus.
Materials And Methods:
For the first time, we conducted a comparative analysis of the Post-Auricular Muscle Response (PAMR) and the Eye Blink Response (EBR) in miniature pigs, demonstrating their utility in manifesting Gap Prepulse Inhibition of the Acoustic Startle (GPIAS). Subsequently, we employed the gap-induced inhibition of PAMR to ascertain evidence of tinnitus following noise exposure.
Results And Conclusion:
Through comparing the efficacy of PAMR and EBR in GPIAS detection, we have substantiated that PAMR provides a stable and objective reflection of GPIAS. Consequently, PAMR emerges as a reliable method for measuring GPIAS in miniature pigs. Furthermore, the behavioral paradigm of gap-induced inhibition of PAMR successfully identified behavioral evidence of tinnitus subsequent to noise exposure.
