Source Paper
Impaired prepulse inhibition of acoustic and tactile startle response in patients with Huntington's disease.
N R Swerdlow, J Paulsen, D L Braff, N Butters, M A Geyer et al.
Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry • 1995
Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle
Objective: Measurement of sensorimotor gating by quantifying inhibition of startle reflex when preceded by acoustic prepulse stimuli in patients with Huntington's disease compared to age-matched controls
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Protocol Steps
Prepulse stimulus presentation
Present weak prepulse stimulus preceding the startling stimulus
Note: Prepulse interval is critical for measuring PPI; normal subjects show maximal PPI at specific intervals
View evidence from paper
“the startle reflex is normally inhibited when the startling stimulus is preceded 30-500 ms earlier by a weak prepulse”
Startle stimulus presentation
Present startling stimulus (acoustic or tactile) to elicit startle reflex
Note: Both acoustic and tactile stimuli were used in this study
View evidence from paper
“Startle gating deficits are evident in patients with Huntington's disease when startle is elicited by either acoustic or tactile stimuli”
Measure startle response amplitude
Quantify the amplitude of the startle reflex response
Note: Startle amplitude was largely intact in Huntington's disease patients
View evidence from paper
“Startle amplitude and habituation and latency facilitation are largely intact in these patients”
Measure prepulse inhibition
Calculate the degree of inhibition of startle reflex when preceded by prepulse
Note: PPI is reduced in Huntington's disease patients compared to controls
View evidence from paper
“Compared with age matched controls, patients with Huntington's disease exhibit less PPI”
Vary prepulse interval
Test PPI at different prepulse intervals to characterize the modulatory effects
Note: Normal subjects show modulatory effects with changing prepulse interval; Huntington's patients do not
View evidence from paper
“their pattern of startle gating does not show the normal modulatory effects usually elicited by changing the prepulse interval or intensity”
Vary prepulse intensity
Test PPI at different prepulse intensities to characterize the modulatory effects
Note: Normal subjects show modulatory effects with changing prepulse intensity; Huntington's patients do not
View evidence from paper
“their pattern of startle gating does not show the normal modulatory effects usually elicited by changing the prepulse interval or intensity”
Measure startle reflex latency
Quantify the latency of the startle reflex response
Note: Reflex latency is significantly slowed in Huntington's disease patients
View evidence from paper
“although reflex latency is significantly slowed”
Assess habituation
Measure habituation of startle response across repeated trials
Note: Habituation was largely intact in Huntington's disease patients
View evidence from paper
“Startle amplitude and habituation and latency facilitation are largely intact in these patients”