Jayakumar Srinidhi, Ferry Rachel, Harrison Thomas J, Nelson Brady D, Klein Daniel N
Stony Brook University, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Stony Brook University, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Int J Psychophysiol. 2025 Feb;208:112490. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112490. Epub 2024 Dec 20.
An elevated startle reflex in anticipation of unpredictable threat has been associated with concurrent anxiety disorders. However, only one study to date has examined whether startle potentiation in anticipation of unpredictable threat predicts the development of anxiety disorders.
In a community sample of 309 adolescents, we examined whether the startle reflex in anticipation of predictable or unpredictable threat at age 15 predicted onset of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) at age 18. To evaluate the specificity of these relationships, we also examined the development of depressive disorders. Startle reflex was measured using the no, predictable, and unpredictable threat task at age 15. Semi-structured diagnostic interviews were administered at both waves to assess lifetime anxiety disorders and depression.
Average startle reflex and startle potentiation to unpredictable, but not predictable, threat at age 15 predicted GAD at age 18, independent of lifetime GAD through age 15 and lifetime depression through age 18. Startle responses at age 15 did not predict SAD or depression at age 18.
The present study suggests that elevated startle potentiation in anticipation of unpredictable threat is a risk factor for the development of GAD in adolescence.
预期不可预测的威胁时惊跳反射增强与同时存在的焦虑症有关。然而，迄今为止只有一项研究考察了预期不可预测的威胁时惊跳增强是否能预测焦虑症的发展。
在一个由309名青少年组成的社区样本中，我们考察了15岁时预期可预测或不可预测的威胁时的惊跳反射是否能预测18岁时广泛性焦虑症（GAD）和社交焦虑症（SAD）的发病。为了评估这些关系的特异性，我们还考察了抑郁症的发展情况。15岁时使用无威胁、可预测威胁和不可预测威胁任务来测量惊跳反射。在两个时间点都进行了半结构化诊断访谈，以评估终生焦虑症和抑郁症情况。
15岁时对不可预测而非可预测威胁的平均惊跳反射和惊跳增强可预测18岁时的广泛性焦虑症，独立于15岁前的终生广泛性焦虑症和18岁前的终生抑郁症。15岁时的惊跳反应不能预测18岁时的社交焦虑症或抑郁症。
本研究表明，预期不可预测的威胁时惊跳增强升高是青少年广泛性焦虑症发展的一个风险因素。
