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  • Title: Impact of stimulus signal-to-noise ratio on prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle.
    Author: Franklin JC, Moretti NA, Blumenthal TD.
    Journal: Psychophysiology; 2007 Mar; 44(2):339-42. PubMed ID: 17343716.
    Abstract:
    Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the human acoustic startle response is reduced in the presence of background noise of a sufficient intensity, possibly due to a reduction in signal-to-noise ratio (prepulse intensity relative to background noise). We examined this hypothesis by varying prepulse intensity and background noise intensity in order to hold three different signal-to-noise ratios constant (5, 15, and 25 dB(A) above background noise intensity). The results showed that signal-to-noise ratio proved to be a more important factor than absolute stimulus intensity in determining the degree of PPI of startle eyeblink response magnitude. Therefore, the effectiveness of a prepulse is determined by prepulse salience, not intensity, and this effectiveness is equivalent across a range of physical intensities.
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