Grillon C, Morgan C A, Southwick S M, Davis M, Charney D S
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
Psychiatry Res. 1996 Oct 16;64(3):169-78. doi: 10.1016/s0165-1781(96)02942-3.
Although an exaggerated startle response is a symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), empirical support for elevated baseline startle in PTSD has been weak. The present study investigated the eyeblink component of the acoustic startle reflex and prepulse inhibition (PPI) in 21 unmedicated Vietnam veterans with PTSD and in 17 civilian and 10 combat veteran comparison subjects. Patients with PTSD exhibited normal acoustic startle amplitude, but showed a significant reduction in PPI relative to the civilian subjects. There was only a trend toward a reduction in PPI in the PTSD group compared with the combat control group. The study does not support the hypothesis of exaggerated baseline startle in Vietnam veterans with PTSD but suggests abnormal startle modulation by a prepulse (i.e., PPI). Discrepancies between studies concerning the amplitude of startle in PTSD are discussed.
尽管夸张的惊吓反应是创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的一种症状，但关于PTSD患者基线惊吓反应增强的实证支持一直很薄弱。本研究调查了21名未服药的患有PTSD的越南退伍军人、17名平民对照和10名参战退伍军人对照的眨眼成分的听觉惊吓反射和前脉冲抑制（PPI）。患有PTSD的患者表现出正常的听觉惊吓幅度，但与平民受试者相比，其PPI显著降低。与参战对照组相比，PTSD组仅呈现出PPI降低的趋势。该研究不支持患有PTSD的越南退伍军人基线惊吓反应增强的假设，但表明前脉冲对惊吓的调节异常（即PPI）。文中还讨论了不同研究在PTSD惊吓幅度方面的差异。
