Stability of the acoustic startle response and its modulation in children with typical development and those with autism spectrum disorders: A one‐year follow‐up

Abstract

Auditory hyper-reactivity is a common sensory-perceptual abnormality that interrupts behavioral adaptations in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Recently, prolonged acoustic startle response (ASR) latency and hyper-reactivity to weak acoustic stimuli were reported in children with ASD. Indexes of ASR and its modulation are known to be stable biological markers for translational research in the adult population. However, little is known about the stability of these indexes in children. Thus, the objective of our study was to investigate the stability of neurophysiological ASR indexes in children with ASD and typical development (TD). Participants included 12 children with ASD and 24 with TD. Mean startle magnitudes to acoustic stimuli presented at 65-105 dB in increments of 10 dB were analyzed. Average peak startle latency (PSL), ASR modulation of habituation, and prepulse inhibition were also analyzed. These startle measures were examined after a follow-up period of 15.7 6 5.1 months from baseline. At both baseline and in the follow-up period, children with ASD had significantly greater startle magnitudes to weak stimuli of 65-85 dB and more prolonged PSL compared with controls. Intraclass correlation coefficients for these ASR measures between both periods were 0.499-0.705. None of the ASR measures differed significantly between the two periods. Our results suggest that prolonged PSL and greater startle magnitudes to weak stimuli in children with ASD might serve as moderately stable neurophysiological indexes of ASD. Autism Res 2017, 10: 673-679.

Differential effects of perinatal exposure to antidepressants on learning and memory, acoustic startle, anxiety, and open‐field activity in Sprague‐Dawley rats

“…Development of auditory circuitry depends on SERT, and altered 5‐HT receptors are found in the auditory cortex of ASD patients (Egaas et al, 1995; Lebrand et al, 1996, 1998). These data corroborate reports of sensory hypersensitivity in ASD (Baron‐Cohen et al, 2009; Gomes et al, 2008; Hitoglou et al, 2010; Kohl et al, 2014; Leekam et al, 2007; Takahashi et al, 2016; Tavassoli et al, 2014). Another study using fMRI showed that ASD patients had aberrant connectivity between sensorimotor and prefrontal regions as well as increased connectivity between the amygdala and the pulvinar nucleus, suggesting reduced thalamo‐cortical inhibition and increased thalamo‐amygdalar connections (Green et al, 2016).…”

“…Auditory hypersensitivity is observed in children with ASD (Baron‐Cohen et al, 2009; Gomes et al, 2008; Hitoglou et al, 2010; Kern et al, 2006; Kohl et al, 2014; Leekam et al, 2007; Takahashi et al, 2016). Previous studies found altered sensorimotor responses in rodents developmentally exposed to SSRIs; e.g., paroxetine exposure (s.c.) from P0‐8 disrupts thalamocortical somatosensory barrel fields in rats (Xu et al, 2004).…”

Critical reappraisal of mechanistic links of copy number variants to dimensional constructs of neuropsychiatric disorders in mouse models

“…No consistent deficit has been noted in individuals with ASD. Children and adults with ASD without cognitive deficits had normal or even higher PPI except as reported in a study that used a specific parametric condition . Children and adults with autism with cognitive deficits had normal PPI .…”

Relationship of the Acoustic Startle Response and Its Modulation to Adaptive and Maladaptive Behaviors in Typically Developing Children and Those With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Study

“…A commercial computerized human startle-response monitoring system (Startle Eyeblink Reflex Analysis System Map1155SYS, Nihonsanteku Co., Osaka, Japan) was used to deliver acoustic startle stimuli and to record and score the corresponding electromyographic activity. The specific methods for stimulus presentation and eyeblink acquisition have been described in detail previously (Takahashi et al, 2017, 2018). The following startle measures were examined: (1) ASR65, ASR75, ASR85, ASR95, and ASR105: average ASR eyeblink magnitude in response to pulse intensities of 65, 75, 85, 95, and 105 dB SPL, respectively; (2) the peak-ASR latency, defined as the average peak-ASR latency across trials with an ASR larger than 60 μV; (3) habituation of the ASR during the session, defined as the percentage of ASR amplitude reduction at 105 dB SPL and (4) PPI65, PPI70, PPI75: PPI at prepulse intensities of 65, 70, and 75 dB SPL, respectively.…”