title: Airpuff startle probes: an efficacious and less aversive alternative to white-noise.
abstract: Fear-potentiated startle (FPS) is an increasingly popular psychophysiological method for the objective assessment of fear and anxiety. Studies applying this method often elicit the startle reflex with loud white-noise stimuli. Such intense stimuli may, however, alter psychological processes of interest by creating unintended emotional or attentional artifacts. Additionally, loud acoustic probes may be unsuitable for use with infants, children, the elderly, and those with hearing damage. Past studies have noted robust and reliable startle reflexes elicited by low intensity airpuffs. The current study compares the aversiveness of white-noise (102 dB) and airpuff (3 psi) probes and examines the sensitivity of each probe for the assessment of fear-potentiated startle. Results point to less physiological arousal and self-reported reactivity to airpuff versus white-noise probes. Additionally, both probes elicited equal startle magnitudes, response probabilities, and levels of fear-potentiated startle. Such results support the use of low intensity airpuffs as efficacious and relatively non-aversive startle probes.
authors.affiliation: Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), DHHS, 15K North Drive, Bldg 15k, MSC 2670, Bethesda, MD 20892-2670, USA. lisseks@intra.nimh.nih.gov
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lissek
authors.forename: Johanna M P
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baas
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pine
authors.forename: Kaebah
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Orme
authors.forename: Sharone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dvir
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosenberger
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rawson
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grillon
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D000328:Adult; D000392:Air Movements; D001008:Anxiety Disorders; D016477:Artifacts; D004644:Emotions; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results