Long‐Term Habituation and Sensitization of the Acoustic Startle Response in the Normal Adult Human

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Abstract
The development and independence of short-term and long-term habituation (and short-term sensitization) of the acoustic startle response to repetitive stimuli has been repeatedly demonstrated in the experimental animal. Although short-term habituation (and sensitization) of acoustic startle has been studied in humans, neither long-term habituation nor sensitization has been demonstrated. In this study, long-term habituation (response amplitude decrement) of the blink component of the acoustic startle response occurred in normal men across five consecutive daily sessions of repetitive acoustic stimulation. Long-term sensitization (onset latency shortening) developed after the third day. Both the long-term habituation and sensitization were independent of the short-term habituation, which developed within each daily session.