A comparison of developmental trajectories of prepulse inhibition between male and female rats

Objective: Various studies have demonstrated that childhood and adolescence are critical periods of brain development characterized by both dramatic changes and sexual dimorphism in anatomy, physiology and cognition. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is an operational model of sensorimotor gating process, but data concerning the interactions of sex and normal ontogeny of PPI is of a particular paucity. Methods: We led a longitudinal study to compare the PPI between male and female Sprague-Dawley rats during postnatal day 23 to 43. Results: We found that the PPI of both male and female rats increased during this period. We also found that the PPI of male and female rats had different developmental trajectories when the prepulse intensity was 20 dB [A] above background, a result similar with a previous study done in humans. Conclusion: The finding confirms the face validity of PPI as a model of information processing across species and supports its utilization for investigation of potential aetiological factors implicated in mental disorders. Copyright ©2010, Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology.