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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
Startle response in behaviorally inhibited adolescents with a lifetime occurrence of anxiety disorders
Bethany C Reeb-Sutherland1, Sarah M Helfinstein1, Kathryn A Degnan1
1Drs. Reeb-Sutherland, Degnan, Chronis-Tuscano, and Fox and Ms. Helfinstein are with the University of Maryland; Dr. Pérez-Edgar is with George Mason University; Dr. Henderson is with the University of Miami; Drs. Lissek, Grillon, and Pine are with the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, National Institute of Mental Health.
Objective:
Behaviorally inhibited children face increased risk for anxiety disorders, although factors that predict which children develop a disorder remain poorly specified. The current study examines whether the startle reflex response may be used to differentiate between behaviorally inhibited adolescents with and without a history of anxiety.
Method:
Participants were assessed for behavioral inhibition during toddlerhood and early childhood. They returned to the laboratory as adolescents and completed a fear-potentiated startle paradigm and a clinical diagnostic interview (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version). Magnitude of the startle reflex was examined at baseline and during cues associated with safety and threat.
Results:
Only adolescents who showed high levels of behavioral inhibition and had a lifetime occurrence of anxiety disorders showed increased startle reactivity in the presence of safety cues. Neither behavioral inhibition nor diagnosis was related to startle reactivity during threat cues.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that neurobiological measures, such as the startle reflex, may be a potential risk marker for the development of anxiety disorders among behaviorally inhibited adolescents. These methods may enhance our ability to identify vulnerable individuals before the development of anxious psychopathology.
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