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Effects of baroreceptor stimulation and opioids on the auditory startle reflex
Author(s) -
Nyklíc̆ek Ivan,
Wijnen Viona,
Rau Harald
Publication year - 2005
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.1469-8986.2005.00273.x
Subject(s) - baroreceptor , psychology , moro reflex , stimulation , endogenous opioid , startle response , acoustic startle reflex , opioid , neuroscience , reflex , medicine , heart rate , blood pressure , receptor
We examined (a) whether carotid baroreceptor stimulation attenuates the auditory startle response and its modulation by preceding affective pictures, and (b) whether these effects are mediated by endogenous opioids. Seventy‐eight young normotensive adults with or without a parental history of hypertension received brief exposures to affective pictures and noise bursts during phasic manipulation of the carotid baroreceptors. In each participant, opioids were blocked by naltrexone in half of the sessions. Baroreceptor stimulation had a strong dampening effect on the startle response. This effect was not influenced by opioid blockade, sex, or parental history of hypertension. No baroreceptor effects were obtained regarding ratings of the affective pictures or startle modulation by the pictures. The baroreceptor stimulation effects seem to be mediated by the basal primary acoustic startle circuit rather than by higher affective circuits.