TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantification of the auditory startle reflex in children
AU - Bakker, Mirte J.
AU - Boer, Frits
AU - van der Meer, Johan N.
AU - Koelman, Johannes H.T.M.
AU - Boerée, Thijs
AU - Bour, Lo
AU - Tijssen, Marina A.J.
PY - 2009/2/1
Y1 - 2009/2/1
N2 - Objective: To find an adequate tool to assess the auditory startle reflex (ASR) in children.Methods: We investigated the effect of stimulus repetition, gender and age on several quantifications of the ASR. ASR's were elicited by eight consecutive auditory stimuli in 27 healthy children. Electromyographic activity of orbicularis oculi, masseter, sternocleidomastoid, deltoid, abductor pollicis brevis, quadriceps muscles and the sympathetic skin response were recorded. ASR parameters (response probability in % and magnitude in area-under-the-curve) were: (1) combined response of all six muscles (2) blink response.Results: Response probabilities were 78% in orbicularis oculi (median latency 41 ms), 17% in sternocleidomastoid (median latency 66 ms), 10% in masseter (median latency 66 ms) and lower in other muscles. The ASR combined response probability and the sympathetic skin response significantly decreased with the repetitive stimuli, but the blink response probability did not. The magnitude (area-under-the-curve) of both the blink response and the combined response did not decrease with the repetitive stimuli. There were no gender or age effects.Conclusion: As in adults, the blink response and the combined response of multiple muscles show different habituation patterns in children. Significance: Investigation of multiple muscles seems appropriate to quantify the ASR in children.
AB - Objective: To find an adequate tool to assess the auditory startle reflex (ASR) in children.Methods: We investigated the effect of stimulus repetition, gender and age on several quantifications of the ASR. ASR's were elicited by eight consecutive auditory stimuli in 27 healthy children. Electromyographic activity of orbicularis oculi, masseter, sternocleidomastoid, deltoid, abductor pollicis brevis, quadriceps muscles and the sympathetic skin response were recorded. ASR parameters (response probability in % and magnitude in area-under-the-curve) were: (1) combined response of all six muscles (2) blink response.Results: Response probabilities were 78% in orbicularis oculi (median latency 41 ms), 17% in sternocleidomastoid (median latency 66 ms), 10% in masseter (median latency 66 ms) and lower in other muscles. The ASR combined response probability and the sympathetic skin response significantly decreased with the repetitive stimuli, but the blink response probability did not. The magnitude (area-under-the-curve) of both the blink response and the combined response did not decrease with the repetitive stimuli. There were no gender or age effects.Conclusion: As in adults, the blink response and the combined response of multiple muscles show different habituation patterns in children. Significance: Investigation of multiple muscles seems appropriate to quantify the ASR in children.
KW - Auditory startle response
KW - Blink response
KW - Children
KW - Human
KW - Normative values
KW - Quantification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=59149098653&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.clinph.2008.11.014
DO - 10.1016/j.clinph.2008.11.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 19109059
AN - SCOPUS:59149098653
SN - 1388-2457
VL - 120
SP - 424
EP - 430
JO - Clinical neurophysiology
JF - Clinical neurophysiology
IS - 2
ER -