Deficient prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex in schizophrenia using a cross-modal paradigm

TY - JOUR

T1 - Deficient prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex in schizophrenia using a cross-modal paradigm

AU - Haß, Katharina

AU - Bak, Nikolaj

AU - Szycik, Gregor R

AU - Glenthøj, Birte Y

AU - Oranje, Bob

N1 - Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/9

Y1 - 2017/9

N2 - OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the typically reported deficient sensorimotor gating in patients with schizophrenia using unimodal paradigms can also be detected by a cross-modal paradigm which made use of an electrocutaneous-acoustic coupling of stimuli.METHODS: Twenty-one male schizophrenia patients took part in a prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm with an electrocutaneous prepulse and an acoustic startle-eliciting pulse. Their results were compared with those from nineteen healthy males.RESULTS: As expected, the patients showed significantly lower PPI than controls. No associations were found between measures of illness severity and PPI.DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing reduced PPI in patients with schizophrenia by using an electrocutaneous-acoustic prepulse-pulse combination. Hence, this study gives further evidence of a modality-independent sensorimotor gating deficit in schizophrenia. Furthermore, as PPI was also lower than usual in controls using unimodal paradigms, results are interpreted in favour of longer processing times of the electrocutaneous prepulse, which probably led to a shorter perceived stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) in the brain.

AB - OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the typically reported deficient sensorimotor gating in patients with schizophrenia using unimodal paradigms can also be detected by a cross-modal paradigm which made use of an electrocutaneous-acoustic coupling of stimuli.METHODS: Twenty-one male schizophrenia patients took part in a prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm with an electrocutaneous prepulse and an acoustic startle-eliciting pulse. Their results were compared with those from nineteen healthy males.RESULTS: As expected, the patients showed significantly lower PPI than controls. No associations were found between measures of illness severity and PPI.DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing reduced PPI in patients with schizophrenia by using an electrocutaneous-acoustic prepulse-pulse combination. Hence, this study gives further evidence of a modality-independent sensorimotor gating deficit in schizophrenia. Furthermore, as PPI was also lower than usual in controls using unimodal paradigms, results are interpreted in favour of longer processing times of the electrocutaneous prepulse, which probably led to a shorter perceived stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) in the brain.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.07.016

DO - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.07.016

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28754277

SN - 0301-0511

VL - 128

SP - 112

EP - 116

JO - Biological Psychology

JF - Biological Psychology

ER -