Startle modulation in children at risk for anxiety disorders and/or alcoholism

Objective: To examine the startle reflex as a possible vulnerability marker among offspring of parents with anxiety disorders and/or alcoholism. Method: The subjects were 66 male and female offspring (aged 10 to 17 years) of probands who participated in a family study of comorbidity of alcoholism and anxiety disorders. Testing consisted of examining the startle reflex and its modulation by prepulse stimuli (prepulse facilitation and prepulse inhibition). Results: Different components of the startle discriminated among children of parents with anxiety disorders, children of alcoholics, and children of normal controls. Specifically, startle magnitude was elevated in children with a parental history of an anxiety disorder, whereas startle habituation and prepulse inhibition were impaired in children with a parental history of alcoholism. Conclusion: These findings suggest that individual differences in the startle reflex may serve as a vulnerability marker for the development of anxiety disorders and alcohol problems.