Relationship between prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle response and schizotypy in healthy Japanese subjects

• Published in: Psychophysiology Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 831 - 837
• Main Authors: Takahashi, Hidetoshi, Iwase, Masao, Canuet, Leonides, Yasuda, Yuka, Ohi, Kazutaka, Fukumoto, Motoyuki, Iike, Naomi, Nakahachi, Takayuki, Ikezawa, Koji, Azechi, Michiyo, Kurimoto, Ryu, Ishii, Ryouhei, Yoshida, Tetsuhiko, Kazui, Hiroaki, Hashimoto, Ryota, Takeda, Masatoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.09.2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Acoustic startle response; Acoustic Stimulation; Adult; Asians; Blinking - physiology; Electromyography; Female; Humans; Japan; Male; Neurosciences; Personality disorders; Personality Tests; Prepulse inhibition; Psychology; Reflex, Startle - physiology; Reflexes; Schizotypal Personality Disorder - physiopathology; Schizotypal Personality Disorder - psychology; Schizotypy; Sensorimotor gating; Sensory Gating; Signal to noise ratio; Smoking - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Japan
• ISSN: 0048-5772; 1540-5958; 1469-8986
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01000.x

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) is the most common psychophysiological index of sensorimotor gating. Several studies have investigated the relationship of PPI of ASR to schizotypy in Caucasians. However, little has been reported on this relationship in Asians. We investigated a possible relationship between PPI of ASR and schizotypy in 79 healthy Japanese subjects. Schizotypy was assessed by the Schizotypal personality Questionnaire (SPQ). PPI was evaluated at signal‐to‐noise ratios (SnRs: difference between background noise intensity and prepulse intensity) of +12, +16, and +20 dB. The total SPQ score, cognitive/perceptual score, and interpersonal score correlated negatively with PPI at SnR of +16 and +20 dB. We conclude that PPI is associated with the trait of schizotypy in healthy Asian subjects.