title: Long-term habituation and sensitization of the acoustic startle response in the normal adult human.
abstract: 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 day. Both the long-term habituation and sensitization were independent of the short-term habituation, which developed within each daily session.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ornitz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guthrie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001767:Blinking; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013216:Reflex, Startle