The effects of caffeine and directed attention on acoustic startle habituation

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
E J Schicatano, T D Blumenthal

Abstract

The present experiment tested the effects of caffeine on acoustic startle habituation during different attention tasks in which subjects either (a) attended to the acoustic startle stimulus (auditory attention; n = 9) (b) attended to a visual search task during presentation of acoustic startle stimuli (visual attention; n = 10), or (c) were given no specific instructions during acoustic startle testing (no attention; n = 9). Startle eyeblink responses were measured after subjects received either caffeine (1 mg/kg) or placebo. Caffeine significantly delayed response habituation in the no attention group and in the auditory attention group, but had no effect on habituation in the visual attention group. These data show that startle habituation can occur with minimal attention being directed to the acoustic startle stimulus, and that visual attention cancels the effects of caffeine on startle habituation.

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Citations

Oct 10, 2009·Psychopharmacology·Kirsty Elizabeth Scholes, Mathew Thomas Martin-Iverson
May 22, 2008·Experimental Brain Research·Eamonn Walsh, Patrick Haggard
Jan 26, 2002·International Journal of Psychophysiology : Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·Stanley Coren
Apr 22, 2005·Journal of Perinatal Medicine·Carlo V BellieniFelice Petraglia
Jan 31, 2013·International Journal of Psychophysiology : Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·Stephanie T LanePatrick J Curran
Jun 10, 2015·The Spanish Journal of Psychology·M Carmen PastorJavier Moltó
Jul 29, 2009·Journal of Youth and Adolescence·Lisa KiangJ Clark Shell
Jun 25, 2005·Perceptual and Motor Skills·Edward J Schicatano
May 15, 2010·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Anthony N CarlsenIan M Franks
Aug 4, 2016·Physiology & Behavior·Luis Gonzalo De la CasaJuan Carlos Ruiz-Salas
Aug 17, 2001·The Journal of Physiology·G P SiegmundD J Sanderson
Oct 27, 2016·BMC Psychology·Karina K KedziorMathew Martin-Iverson
Apr 5, 2003·Psychopharmacology·Kent E HutchisonTiffany Ito
May 12, 2016·Perceptual and Motor Skills·Edward J Schicatano
Jul 11, 2018·Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research·Dahyeon KangCatharine E Fairbairn
Mar 17, 2017·BioMed Research International·Juan M CastelloteLeopold Saltuari

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