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Effects of background noise on the human startle reflex and prepulse inhibition
Author(s) -
Flaten Magne Arve,
Nordmark Eirik,
Elden Åke
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.1469-8986.2005.00293.x
Subject(s) - prepulse inhibition , acoustic startle reflex , stimulus (psychology) , moro reflex , psychology , reflex , audiology , startle reaction , noise effects , startle response , noise (video) , neuroscience , medicine , cognitive psychology , hearing loss , psychiatry , artificial intelligence , computer science , image (mathematics) , schizophrenia (object oriented programming)
Three experiments investigated whether background noise modified the startle blink reflex and prepulse inhibition (PPI). In Experiment 1 background noise was about 28 (ambient), 40, and 60 dB; in Experiments 2 and 3 background noise was ambient and 60 dB. Prepulses were 70‐dB tones (Experiments 1 and 3) or a tactile stimulus (Experiment 2). Startle‐eliciting stimuli were 94‐dB noise (Experiments 1 and 2) or an airpuff to the face (Experiment 3). Prepulses were presented at stimulus onset asynchronies of 30, 60, 120, 240, and 2000 ms relative to the startle‐eliciting stimulus. Background noise of 60 dB had no effect on control reflexes, whereas 40‐dB background noise increased control reflexes. Background noise decreased PPI, but only when an acoustic stimulus was used as prepulse. In sum, the findings show that background noise reduces the signal‐to‐noise ratio of acoustic prepulses and decreases their modulatory effect on the startle reflex.