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Auditory startle response in firefighters before and after trauma exposure
Rachel M Guthrie1, Richard A Bryant
1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|January 29, 2005
Summary
Elevated startle responses before trauma may predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. This prospective study in firefighters suggests pre-trauma physiological reactivity is a vulnerability factor for PTSD.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Trauma research
- Occupational health
Background:
- Previous studies show heightened responses in PTSD but can't distinguish vulnerability from acquired traits.
- Psychophysiological responses like startle are key areas of investigation in trauma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively investigate auditory startle responses in firefighters before and after trauma exposure.
- To determine if pre-trauma physiological responses predict post-trauma stress reactions.
Main Methods:
- Assessed orbicularis oculi (eye blink) electromyograms and skin conductance in 84 trainee firefighters before trauma.
- Reassessed 35 trauma-exposed firefighters and 36 non-exposed controls after duty commencement.
Main Results:
- Pre-trauma physiological activity predicted post-trauma startle responses in the trauma-exposed group.
- Pre-trauma skin conductance response to startle predicted posttraumatic stress severity.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest elevated startle response may be a vulnerability factor for developing posttraumatic stress.
- This study offers initial prospective evidence linking pre-trauma psychophysiology to PTSD risk.