Department of Psychology

Audiogram of the domestic mouse (Mus musculus) C57BL/6J x C3H (Med-J/Med-J and Med-J/+) mutation of the Scn8a voltage channel)

 

Data from: Koay, G., Heffner, R.S., and Heffner, H.E. (2002) Behavioral audiograms of homozygous medJ mutant mice with sodium channel deficiency and unaffected controls. Hearing Research, 171, 111-118.

 

Absolute thresholds (in dB re 20 µN/m2) for two heterozygous (A & B, normal) house mice and two homozygous (C & D, affected) mice

 

Frequency

(in kHz)

Individual Thresholds

(in dB)

 

Average

A,

MedJ/+

B,

MedJ/+

C, MedJ/MedJ

D, MedJ/MedJ

1

91.5

92

 

 

91.8

2

68

70

69.5

69

69.1

3

38

40.8

39

38.8

39.1

4

30

29

27

31

29.2

8

18.5

16

17

16.8

17.1

16

11

4

6.5

8

7.4

32

22

21.5

23.8

23

22.6

50

19.5

18

20

18.8

19.1

64

27.5

27

29

27.5

27.8

80

43.5

42.5

41.5

42.5

42.5

90

77

73

74

74.5

74.6

Lowest and highest frequencies audible at sound pressure levels (SPL) ranging from 30 to 70 dB SPL

SPL

(in dB)

Lowest audible frequency (in kHz)

Highest audible frequency (in kHz)

70

1.97

88

60

2.3

86

50

2.6

82

40

2.95

77

30

3.9

66

 

Additional Parameters:

Body weight = medJ 20 g, heterozygotes 25g

Functional interaural distance = 43 µs

(Time required for sound to travel around the head from one auditory meatus to the other.)

 

Comments: Threshold values taken from original data.

For an audiogram using domestic house mice, see Markl, V.H., and Ehret, G. (1973) Die Horschwelle der Maus (Mus musculus). Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie, 33, 274-286.

 

Current work in our laboratory indicates that domestic house mice do not hear below 2 kHz:

Koay, G., Heffner, R.S., and Heffner, H.E. (2002) Behavioral audiograms of homozygous medJ mutant mice with sodium channel deficiency and their unaffected littermates. Hearing Research, 171, 111-118.

 

Last Updated: 6/27/22