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Acoustic Startle in Maltreated Children

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Abstract

We investigated the eyeblink component of acoustic startle reactions in maltreated children. Previous research indicates that acoustic startle is enhanced in adult males with posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) whereas findings on women with PTSD have been inconsistent. In accord with the only previous report for children with PTSD, we found that maltreated boys, particularly those who had been physically abused, responded to increases in startle probe loudness with smaller increments in amplitude of startle eyeblink and smaller reductions in blink latency than did comparison boys. Results for girls were inconsistent: younger maltreated girls had smaller startle amplitude and slower onset latency than controls, whereas older maltreated girls exhibited the opposite pattern.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York

    Rafael Klorman, Dante Cicchetti & Joan E. Thatcher

  2. Mount Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York

    Dante Cicchetti

  3. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York

    James R. Ison

Authors
  1. Rafael Klorman
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  2. Dante Cicchetti
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  3. Joan E. Thatcher
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  4. James R. Ison
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Correspondence to Rafael Klorman.

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Klorman, R., Cicchetti, D., Thatcher, J.E. et al. Acoustic Startle in Maltreated Children. J Abnorm Child Psychol 31, 359–370 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023835417070

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