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Long‐Term Habituation and Sensitization of the Acoustic Startle Response in the Normal Adult Human
Author(s) -
Ornitz Edward M.,
Guthrie Donald
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1989.tb03149.x
Subject(s) - habituation , sensitization , startle response , psychology , audiology , prepulse inhibition , moro reflex , developmental psychology , term (time) , startle reaction , neuroscience , medicine , reflex , psychiatry , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , physics , quantum mechanics
The development and independence of short‐term and long‐term habituation (and short‐term sensitization) of the acoustic startle response to repetitive stimuli has been repeatedly demonstrated in the experimental animal. Although short‐term habituation (and sensitization) of acoustic startle has been studied in humans, neither long‐term habituation nor sensitization has been demonstrated. In this study, long‐term habituation (response amplitude decrement) of the blink component of the acoustic startle response occurred in normal men across five consecutive daily sessions of repetitive acoustic stimulation. Long‐term sensitization (onset latency shortening) developed after the third day. Both the long‐term habituation and sensitization were independent of the short‐term habituation, which developed within each daily session.