OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of auditory parameters during anesthesia and establish the assessment indicators for anesthesia monitoring in animal experiments.

METHODSBALB/c mice of 4 to 6 weeks were given a single intraperitoneal dose of urethane, and the auditory evoked potential in the surgically exposed inferior colliculus in response to pure tone stimulation was recorded during urethane metabolism. The latency and amplitude data of the waves were extracted using Matlab software to analyze their variations during urethane metabolism.

RESULTSThe latency of the auditory evoked potential showed slight variation and was well correlated to time. The latency decreased progressively during urethane metabolism, fast in the initial 2 h and tending to stabilize afterwards.

CONCLUSIONThe latency of the auditory evoked potential can be more suitable indicators than the amplitude for anesthetic effect monitoring.