title: Defense reactions to interoceptive threats: a comparison between loaded breathing and aversive picture viewing.
abstract: Human fear research has mostly applied exteroceptive stimuli to induce fear. Interoceptive sensations however can also be very threatening and play a major role in a number of anxiety disorders. In this study, we compared affective responses to inspiratory resistive loads with those to aversive pictures. During repeated administrations of two loads, a light and a moderate one, and five aversive pictures we measured electrodermal activity, startle blink responses, subjective fear and ratings on valence, arousal and dominance. Results indicate that loads evoke affective reactions comparable or stronger than those evoked by the pictures. Startle data did not follow this pattern with an absence of startle potentiation during the moderate load, suggesting that fear potentiated startle does not occur when the background aversive stimulus is of an interoceptive nature.
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pappens
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Van den Bergh
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Peuter
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bresseleers
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vansteenwegen
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Van Diest
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration; D055815:Young Adult