Examining the Interaction Between Startle and Response Inhibition

Two studies were conducted to examine the potentially interrupting effects of a startle response in a choice reaction time task. Participants completed a task similar to a Go/No- Go in which they were to press a button with their dominant thumb as quickly as possible whenever they saw a green circle (Go) and withhold a response whenever they saw a red circle (No-Go). Two auditory stimuli were used in the task: a startling stimulus (50 ms, 100 dB broadband noise) presented either alone or concurrently with a circle (Go or No- Go) stimulus; and, in the second study, a less intense prepulse stimulus (50ms, 75dB broadband noise) was either presented alone or 120 ms before a startling stimulus or circle stimulus. The startle stimulus led to increased activation of responses to the circle stimuli that resulted in decreased reaction times in the Go condition and increased muscle activity in the responding hand in the No-Go condition. Despite this increased muscle activity, very few overt response errors were made in the No-Go condition. Compared to startle alone trials, the magnitude of the startle response increased when a circle stimulus was present but decreased when a prepulse was present. These findings have implications for the degree to which startle is interruptive and how response inhibition may interact with startle response circuitry.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Washington, Jessica R.

• cognition

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/39260

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/39260