NORMAL AND ABNORMAL STARTLE RESPONSES

将研究自闭症儿童和正常3至8岁儿童的惊吓反应。 为了获得有关儿童的定量神经生理学数据 自闭症患者这一重要脑干反射的可能病理生理机制 孩子们。临床上，这些孩子的惊吓似乎减少了。 反应是他们对感官的异常反应的一部分 刺激。要记录的惊吓反应成分包括来自 眼轮匝肌和选定的对抗性屈肌和伸肌 眨眼反射、心率改变、诱发和背景脑电 活动。所有响应组件都将由一个 也将控制管理时间的计算机系统 根据受试者的刺激前状态进行刺激。其他内容 通过使用警告来控制预刺激状态 已被发现可提高反应的可预测性的刺激 以惊吓刺激。设计了三个实验来提供关于 抑制和促进的相对程度，以及习惯化和 在生理定义的条件下惊吓的敏化 朝向或唤醒。 该提案是最初提交给NIMH的提案的第二阶段。这个 研究自闭症儿童的提案被推迟到 研究年幼正常儿童的惊吓反应可以证明 (第一阶段)。后者现在已经完成，我们准备 继续研究自闭症儿童的惊吓反应，就像最初的那样 由NIMH考虑，并根据我们最新的经验进行了修改。

The startle response will be studied in autistic and normal 3 to 8 year old children in order to obtain quantitative neurophysiologic data on the possible pathophysiology of this important brain stem reflex in autistic children. Clinically, these children appear to have a reduced startle response as part of their generally aberrant reactions to sensory stimulation. Startle reponse components to be recorded include EMG from orbicularis oculi and selected antagonistic flexors and extensors, the blink reflex, change in heart rate, and evoked and background EEG activity. All response components will be recorded quantitatively by a computer system which also will control the time of administration of stimuli according to the prestimulus state of the subject. Additional control over the prestimulus state will be obtained by the use of a warning stimulus which has been found to increase the predictability of responses to startle stimuli. Three experiments are designed to provide data on the relative degree of inhibition and facilitation, and habituation and sensitization, of startle under physiologically defined conditions of orientation or arousal. This proposal is Phase II of proposal originally submitted to NIMH. The proposal to study autistic children was postponed until feasibility of studying startle responses in young normal children could be demonstrate (Phase I). The latter has now been accomplished, and we are ready to pursue the study of startle responses in autistic children, as originally consisdered by NIMH, with modifications based on our most recent experience.