Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Show Normal Responses to a Fear Potential Startle Paradigm |
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| Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Raphael?BernierEmail author Geraldine?Dawson Heracles?Panagiotides Sara?Webb |
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| Institution: | (1) Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, 98195 Seattle, WA, USA;(2) Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA |
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| Abstract: | The present study utilized a fear potentiated startle paradigm to examine amygdala function in individuals with autism spectrum
disorder. Two competing hypotheses regarding amygdala dysfunction in autism have been proposed: (1) The amygdala is under-responsive,
in which case it would be predicted that, in a fear potentiated startle experiment, individuals with autism would exhibit
decreased fear conditioning and/or potentiation, and (2) The amygdala is over responsive, in which case an exaggerated potentiation
of the startle response would be predicted. Fourteen adolescents and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and 14
age, gender, IQ, and anxiety level-matched typical adolescents and adults participated. Both participants with autism and
typical participants potentiated the startle response following fear conditioning and no group differences in the latency
or amplitude of the potentiated startle response were found. These results suggest that this aspect of amygdala function,
namely fear conditioning and potentiation of the startle response, is intact in individuals with autism. |
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| Keywords: | Autism spectrum disorders amygdala fear conditioning potentiated startle |
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