The effects of ATCV-1 exposure on the acoustic startle and its prepulse inhibition (PPI) were assessed. These are translational measures of sensorimotor gating that are impaired in patients with neurological and psychiatric illnesses (21). No group difference was found in the baseline acoustic startle response, and both groups exhibited comparable amplitudes (in mV): 193.1 ±8.4 for control mice and 212.4 ± 8.6 for ATCV-1–exposed mice. However, ATCV-1 exposure impaired PPI in mice. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA with treatment as a between-subject factor and PPI as a within-subjects factor indicated a significant group effect, F(1, 45) = 6.9, P = 0.015, and a significant effect of type of prepulse, F(4, 234) = 98.2, P < 0.001 (Fig. 3D). No Group × Prepulse interaction was found. Post hoc test results revealed that compared with control mice the ATCV-exposed group had significantly
reduced PPI averaged across all prepulses (P < 0.05) (Fig. 3E).