title: Startle effects on saccadic responses to emotional target stimuli.
abstract: Startle stimuli elicit various physiological and cognitive responses. This study investigated whether acoustic startle stimuli affect saccadic reactions in an emotional pro- or antisaccade task. Startle probes were presented either 500 ms before or simultaneous with an imperative stimulus that indicated whether a saccade towards or away from positive, neutral, or negative peripheral target pictures had to be performed. Valence interacted with saccade direction according to an approach-avoidance pattern of gaze behavior, with delayed prosaccades to negative targets and antisaccades away from positive targets. Acoustic startle stimuli preceding the presentation of peripheral target pictures speeded up the initiation saccades, irrespective of stimulus valence. Results indicate a speeding of cognitive-motor processing by preceding startle stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Deuter
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Linn K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Kuehl
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Terry D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schachinger
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D053483:Eye Movement Measurements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology*; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Accessory stimulus; Affective startle modulation; Antisaccade; Approach-Avoidance; Electromyography; Prepulse inhibition; Prosaccade; StartReact