FEAR-POTENTIATED STARTLE - RELATIONSHIP TO THE LEVEL OF STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY IN HEALTHY-SUBJECTS

The startle reflex is potentiated during experimentally induced anxiet y (fear-potentiated startle). It is also increased in various anxiety disorders. The present study investigated the relationship between ind ividual differences in fear and anxiety, and startle modulation. The e yeblink component of the acoustic startle reflex was measured in a par adigm involving the anticipation of electric shocks in 22 healthy men who were volunteers. Each subject's fear of shock was assessed with th e state portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; Spielberge r 1983). Fear-potentiated startle, but not baseline startle, differed in the low and high fear subjects. The magnitude of fear-potentiated s tartle was larger in the high-fear group as compared to the low-fear g roup. The time-course of startle modulation suggested a longer duratio n of anticipatory anxiety in the high-fear group. Trait anxiety, which was assessed with the trait portion of the STAI, did not relate to in dividual differences in either baseline or fear-potentiated startle.