AFFECTIVE MODULATION OF THE STARTLE REFLEX IN SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

Startle-elicited blinks were measured during the presentation of affec tive slides in order to investigate emotional responsiveness in 24 mal e healthy subjects and 34 male schizophrenic patients. Although the tw o groups did not differ with regard to their subjective and autonomic responses to the slide stimuli, there was a significant difference bet ween the groups in their responses to the startle probes. Patients rat ed low in affective expression showed a linear response pattern compar able to that of normal controls with largest amplitudes during unpleas ant slides and smallest during pleasant slides. Patients without appar ent deficit in affective expression showed a quadratic relationship wi th smaller blink amplitudes during both pleasant and unpleasant slides . Diminished affective expression rated on the basis of a clinical int erview is not associated with a general attenuation of the blink refle x or of its modulation by exposure to emotional slides. Thus, we found no indication of an impairment in the perception of affective stimuli nor of reduced appreciation of pleasant stimuli (anhedonia) in these patients.