Abstract
Temporal integration of pairs of brief blink-eliciting acoustic and cutaneous stimuli was investigated to determine if there was integration of stimuli from different modalities. Reflexes elicited by a tone burst or by a brief electrical shock to the supraorbital nerve followed by a second tone burst or shock at short stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) were larger and faster than control reflexes elicited by a single stimulus identical to the lead stimulus of the stimulus pairs. Reflex amplitude was augmented at longer SOAs where there was no effect on latency. Temporal integration was evident for all stimulus pairs, showing that it is due, at least in part, to processes that occur outside specific sensory pathways. Heterogeneous stimulus pairs produced greater reflex enhancement than did homogeneous stimulus pairs. This finding was examined further in Experiment 2, which showed that reflex enhancement with pairs of acoustic pulses was unaffected by the frequency of the second stimulus, suggesting that sensory masking was not acting to suppress reflex expression with acoustic pulse pairs. Integration of reflexogenic acoustic stimuli shown in the blink reflex is restricted to shorter intervals than is integration of acoustic stimuli shown by psychophysical procedures, suggesting that the two methods reflect different aspects of stimulus processing. Integration of reflexogenic stimuli may result from summation of activity associated more directly with reflex expression than with perceptual awareness.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Amassian, V. E., &Devito, R. V. (1954). Unit activity in reticular formation and nearby structures.Journal of Neurophysiology,17, 575–603.
Bell, C., Sierra, G., Buendia, N., &Secundo, J P. (1964). Sensory properties of neurons in the mesencephalic reticular formation.Journal of Neurophysiology,27, 961–987.
Berg, K. M. (1973). Elicitation of acoustic startle in the human.Dissertation Abstracts International,34, 5217B-5218B.
Blumenthal, T. D., &Berg, W. K. (1986). The startle response as an indicator of temporal summation.Perception & Psychophysics,40, 62–68
D’Amato, M. R. (1979)Experimental psychology: Methodology, psychophysics, and learning. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.
Davis, M., Gendelman, D. S., Tischler, M. D., &Gendelman, P. M. (1982). A primary acoustic startle circuit: Lesion and stimulation studies.Journal of Neuroscience,2, 791–805
Dykman, B. M., &Ison, J. R. (1979). Temporal integration of acoustic stimulation obtained in reflex inhibition in rats and humans.Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology,93, 939–945.
Fox, J. E, &Wolstencroft, J. H. (1976). The reduced responsiveness of neurons in nucleus reticularis gigantocellulans following their excitation by peripheral nerve stimulation.Journal of Physiology,258, 687–704.
Gersuni, G. V (1971). Temporal organization of the auditory function. In G V. Gersum (Ed),Sensory processes at the neuronal and behavioral levels (pp. 85–114) New York: Academic Press.
Green, D M., &Wier, C. C. (1984). Auditory perception. In I. Danan-Smith (Ed.),Handbook of physiology: Sec 1. The nervous system. Vol. III, Pt. 2. Sensory processes (pp. 557–594). Bethesda, MD: American Physiological Society.
Hoffman, H S., &Ison, J. R. (1980). Reflex modification in the domain of startle: I. Some empirical findings and their implications for how the nervous system processes sensory input.Psychological Review,87, 175–189.
Ison, J. R., McAdam, D. W., &Hammond, G R. (1973). Latency and amplitude changes in the acoustic startle reflex of the rat produced by variation in auditory prestimulation.Physiology & Behavior,10, 1035–1039.
Marsh, R., Hoffman, H. S., &Stitt, C. L. (1973). Temporal integration in the acoustic startle reflex of the rat.Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology,82, 507–511.
Ongerboer De Visser, B. W., &Kuypers, H. G. J. M. (1978). Late blink reflex changes in lateral medullary lesions: An electrophysiological and neuro-anatomical study of Wallenberg’s syndromeBrain,101, 285–294
Penders, C. A., &Delwaide, P. J (1973). Physiologic approach to the human blink reflex. In J. E. Desmedt (Ed.),New developments in electromyography and clinical neurophysiology: Vol. 3. Human reflexes, pathophysiology of motor systems, methodology of human reflexes (pp. 649–657). Basel: Karger.
Radionova, E. A. (1971). Two types of neurons in the cat cochlear nuclei and their role in audition. In G. V. Gersuni (Ed.),Sensory processes at the neuronal and behavioral levels (pp. 135–155). New York: Academic Press.
Scharf, B., &Buus, S. (1986). Audition I. In K. R. Boff, L. Kaufman, & J. P. Thomas (Eds.),Handbook of perception and human performance: Vol. I. Sensory processes and perception (pp. 14.1–14.71) New York: Wiley.
Scharf, B., &Houtsma, A. J. M. (1986). Audition II. In K. R. Boff, L Kaufman, & J. P. Thomas (Eds.),Handbook of perception and human performance: Vol. 1. Sensory processes and perception (pp. 15.1–15.60). New York: Wiley.
Shahani, B. T., &Young, R. R. (1973). Blink reflexes in orbicularis oculi. In J. E. Desmedt (Ed.),New developments in electromyography and clinical neurophysiology: Vol. 3. Human reflexes, pathophysiology of motor systems, methodology of human reflexes (pp. 641–648). Basel: Karger.
Zimmermann, M. (1981). Neurophysiology of sensory systems. In R. R. Schmidt (Ed.),Fundamentals of sensory physiology (2nd ed., pp. 31–80) (M. A. Biederman-Thorson, Trans.). Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Plant, Y., Hammond, G.R. Temporal integration of acoustic and cutaneous stimuli shown in the blink reflex. Perception & Psychophysics 45, 258–264 (1989). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210705
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210705