title: Effect of treatment status on prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle in schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The acoustic startle response is inhibited when the startling stimulus is preceded by a weaker non-startling acoustic stimulus. This phenomenon, termed prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (PPI), is impaired in schizophrenics compared to normal controls. To date, there is conflicting evidence regarding whether PPI impairments improve with antipsychotic treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of medication status on PPI in schizophrenic subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, we performed acoustic startle testing on 16 schizophrenic subjects when they were acutely decompensated off medication and later after they were stabilized on antipsychotic treatment. Second, in a between-group design, we tested 21 schizophrenic subjects off medication, 16 subjects on atypical neuroleptics, and 27 subjects on typical neuroleptics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both the test-retest study and the between-group study, ANOVAs revealed no significant changes in startle to pulse alone stimuli, habituation of startle to pulse alone stimuli, PPI, latency to response onset, or latency to response peak between the treatment conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results do not support the hypothesis that impaired sensorimotor gating in schizophrenia improves with antipsychotic treatment. Rather, impaired gating persists despite symptomatic improvement on medication.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Service/116A, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033, USA. erica.duncan2@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Erica J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Sandor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szilagyi
authors.forename: Toby R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Efferen
authors.forename: Marion P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Arti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parwani
authors.forename: Subhajit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakravorty
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Madonick
authors.forename: Alena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kunzova
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Harmon
authors.forename: Burt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Angrist
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gonzenbach
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rotrosen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011930:Reaction Time; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents