NORMAL AND ABNORMAL STARTLE RESPONSES

将在3至8岁的自闭症儿童和正常儿童中研究惊吓反应 儿童，以获得定量的神经生理学数据， 孤独症患者脑干反射的可能病理生理机制 孩子 临床上，这些孩子似乎有减少惊吓 作为他们对感官的普遍异常反应的一部分， 刺激. 要记录的惊吓反应成分包括来自 眼轮匝肌和选定的拮抗屈肌和伸肌， 眨眼反射、心率变化以及诱发和背景EEG 活动 所有响应分量都将通过 计算机系统，它也将控制管理的时间， 根据受试者的刺激前状态的刺激。 额外 对刺激前状态的控制将通过使用警告来获得 已发现可增加反应可预测性的刺激 来刺激。 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致敏或惊吓 定向或唤醒。 本提案是最初提交给NIMH的提案的第二阶段。 的 研究自闭症儿童的建议被推迟，直到可行性， 研究正常儿童的惊吓反应 （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， 由NIMH考虑，并根据我们最近的经验进行修改。

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.