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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Published on: September 1, 2011

Is startle a lateralised response in early infancy?

Laura Franchin¹, Sergio Agnoli, Marco Dondi

¹Dipartimento di Scienze Umane and Neuroscience Centre, University of Ferrara and National Institute of Neuroscience, Ferrara, Italy.

|August 2, 2012

Summary

The infant whole-body startle response shows early lateralization, with a right-side bias in latency. Facial responses, however, did not exhibit significant asymmetry in 5-month-olds.

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Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Published on: September 1, 2011

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

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Published on: August 25, 2014

Area of Science:

Developmental Neuroscience
Infant Motor Control

Background:

Early lateralization of neural circuitry is crucial for development.
The acoustic startle response is a fundamental protective reflex.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate early signs of lateralization in the infant acoustic startle response.
To analyze asymmetries in whole-body and facial components of the startle reflex in 5-month-old infants.

Main Methods:

Utilized non-invasive methods: Automated Infant Motor Movement Startle Seat and Facial Action Coding System.
Measured response latencies and intensities on both left and right body sides.
Examined whole-body and facial motor patterns of the startle response.

Main Results:

The whole-body acoustic startle response in infants demonstrated significant lateralization.
A right-side bias in response latency was observed for the whole-body startle.
No significant asymmetry was found in the facial component of the startle response.

Conclusions:

Infant whole-body startle exhibits early lateralization, suggesting underlying neural organization.
The absence of facial asymmetry warrants further investigation into methodological limitations.
Future research could explore fast facial responses using high-speed videography.