Acoustic startle reflex in schizophrenia patients and their first-degree relatives: Evidence of normal emotional modulation

We investigated emotional disturbances in 36 schizophrenia patients, 48 of their first-degree relatives, and 56 controls to determine if abnormal affe ctive startle modulation could be associated with genetic risk for schizoph renia. Both patients and relatives had a pattern of startle modulation indi stinguishable from controls, with potentiated startle amplitude while viewi ng negative valence slides and attenuation while viewing positive slides. P atients with flat affect did not differ from those without in startle modul ation or slide ratings. The patients and their relatives had lower pleasant ness ratings of positive slides and the patients had higher pleasantness ra tings of the negative slides than controls. The startle paradigm may not be useful for identifying individuals with a genetic liability for schizophre nia. The results suggest that low-level defensive and appetitive behaviors are unaffected in schizophrenia.