TY - JOUR
T1 - Startle responding in the context of visceral pain
AU - Ceunen, Erik
AU - Zaman, Jonas
AU - Herssens, Natacha
AU - Van Oudenhove, Lukas
AU - Bogaerts, Katleen
AU - Ly, Huynh Giao
AU - Coen, Steven J.
AU - Tack, Jan
AU - Vlaeyen, Johan W. S.
AU - Van Diest, Ilse
PY - 2015/10
Y1 - 2015/10
N2 - This study aimed to investigate affective modulation of eye blink startle by aversive visceral stimulation. Startle blink EMG responses were measured in 31 healthy participants receiving painful, intermittent balloon distentions in the distal esophagus during 4 blocks (positive, negative, neutral or no pictures), and compared with startles during 3 'safe' blocks without esophageal stimulations (positive, negative or neutral emotional pictures). Women showed enhanced startle during blocks with distentions (as compared with 'safe' blocks), both when the balloon was in inflated and deflated states, suggesting that fear and/or expectations may have played a role. Men's startle did not differ between distention and non-distention blocks. In this particular study context affective picture viewing did not further impose any effect on startle eye blink responses. The current results may contribute to a better understanding of emotional reactions to aversive interoceptive stimulation.
AB - This study aimed to investigate affective modulation of eye blink startle by aversive visceral stimulation. Startle blink EMG responses were measured in 31 healthy participants receiving painful, intermittent balloon distentions in the distal esophagus during 4 blocks (positive, negative, neutral or no pictures), and compared with startles during 3 'safe' blocks without esophageal stimulations (positive, negative or neutral emotional pictures). Women showed enhanced startle during blocks with distentions (as compared with 'safe' blocks), both when the balloon was in inflated and deflated states, suggesting that fear and/or expectations may have played a role. Men's startle did not differ between distention and non-distention blocks. In this particular study context affective picture viewing did not further impose any effect on startle eye blink responses. The current results may contribute to a better understanding of emotional reactions to aversive interoceptive stimulation.
KW - Mechanical esophageal stimulation
KW - Visceral pain
KW - Startle
KW - Gender differences
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.07.009
DO - 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.07.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 26209434
VL - 98
SP - 128
EP - 134
JO - International Journal of Psychophysiology
JF - International Journal of Psychophysiology
SN - 0167-8760
IS - 1
ER -