RESUMO
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) and habituation of the startle response are operational measures of sensorimotor gating and information processing. Changes in the normal inhibition and habituation of the startle response may provide trait markers for illnesses such as schizophrenia that have altered neurotransmitter control of the neural circuitry that modulates these measures. The stability of PPI and habituation was assessed in 10 normal male subjects. Prepulse inhibition was found to be most stable in the more intense prepulse conditions, and habituation was most stable in the early portion of the test session. These data support the hypothesis that PPI and habituation are relatively stable neurobiological markers.
Assuntos
Habituação Psicofisiológica/fisiologia , Inibição Neural/fisiologia , Reflexo de Sobressalto/fisiologia , Limiar Sensorial/fisiologia , Estimulação Acústica , Adulto , Análise de Variância , Eletroencefalografia , Humanos , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Tempo de Reação/fisiologiaRESUMO
The role of the alpha-1 adrenoceptor in prepulse inhibition (PPI) was evaluated in rats. The alpha-1 adrenergic agonist cirazoline disrupted PPI; this effect was reversed by the alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist prazosin or the atypical antipsychotic quetiapine. Alpha-1 adrenoceptors may thus be involved in the regulation of PPI and in the psychotherapeutic actions of certain antipsychotics.
