Use of the acoustic startle response in the mouse to evaluate the pharmacodynamic action of ethanol

: A method of the pharmacological screening of psychotropic drugs that is based on the estimation of the peak amplitude and latency of the acoustic startle response (ASR) is suggested. A linear relationship between the changes of the ASR parameters induced by acute i.p. 14C-ethanol administration and its contents in brain is demonstrated. It is proposed that changes of the ASR parameters are strictly dependent upon the concentration of a modulatory drug in the biophase of action (brain, serum) and therefore can be utilised for the effector analysis of pharmacokinetics and preliminary screening of psychotropic drugs.