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Different effects of unexpected changes in environmental conditions on prepulse inhibition in rats and humans

Abstract

The reduction of the startle response to an auditory stimulus caused by the presentation of another stimulus of lower intensity closely preceding it, a phenomenon known as prepulse inhibition (PPI), can be modulated by changes in dopaminergic activity. Schmajuk, Larrauri, De la Casa, and Levin (2009) demonstrated that this dopaminergic modulation of PPI in rats can be influenced by manipulating the experimental context, specifically by introducing changes in the ambient lighting condition that include novel elements. In this paper we analyze the effects of introducing changes in context illumination on PPI in male rats (Experiment 1) and humans (Experiment 2). The results with rats showed a reduction of PPI when the illumination condition switched from dark to light, but not from light to dark. In the experiment with human participants the reduction of PPI occurred for both changes in illumination conditions. The animal experiment results are interpreted in terms of competing exploratory behavior that appear when the context is illuminated after the dark–light transition; while in the case of human participants a perceptual and/or attentional mechanism after both illumination transitions is proposed, which may result in a reduced processing of the prepulse and subsequent lower PPI.

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Different effects of unexpected changes in environmental conditions on prepulse inhibition in rats and humans

Author: Casa Rivas, Luis Gonzalo de La; Fernández del Olmo, Aarón; Larrauri, Jose; Mena, Auxiliadora; Puentes, Andrea; Quintero Sánchez, Esperanza; Schmajuk, Nestor
Publisher: Elsevier
Year: 2012
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.03.036
Source: https://idus.us.es/bitstreams/a0e6a534-df41-4dbf-a12f-78b7ddb2acf4/download
Di e en e ec s o unexpec ed changes in en i onmen al condi ions on
p epulse inhibi ion in a s and humans
L.G. De la Casa1, A. Fe nandez1, J. La au i2, A. Mena1,
A. Puen es1, E. Quin e o1, and N. Schmajuk2
1 Depa men o Expe imen al Psychology, Uni e si y o Se ille, 41018 Se ille,
Spain
2 Depa men o Psychology and Neu oscience, Duke Uni e si y, Du ham, NC
27708, Uni ed S a es
Add ess co espondence o:
L.G. De la Casa
Dp . Psicologia Expe imen al
Facul ad de Psicología
C/ Camilo José Cela, s/n
41018 Se illa (Spain)
Tel.: (34) 954557682
Fax: (34) 954551784
E-mail: [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
The educ ion o he s a le esponse o an audi o y s imulus caused by
he p esen a ion o ano he s imulus o lowe in ensi y closely p eceding i , a
phenomenon known as p epulse inhibi ion (PPI), can be modula ed by changes
in dopamine gic ac i i y. Schmajuk, La au i, De la Casa, and Le in (2009)
demons a ed ha his dopamine gic modula ion o PPI in a s can be
in luenced by manipula ing he expe imen al con ex , speci ically by in oducing
changes in he ambien ligh ing condi ion ha include no el elemen s. In his
pape we analyse he e ec s o in oducing changes in con ex illumina ion on
PPI in male a s (Expe imen 1) and humans (Expe imen 2). The esul s wi h
a s showed a educ ion o PPI when he illumina ion condi ion swi ched om
da k o ligh , bu no om ligh o da k. In he expe imen wi h human
pa icipan s he educ ion o PPI occu ed o bo h changes in illumina ion
condi ions. The animal expe imen esul s a e in e p e ed in e ms o compe ing
explo a o y beha io ha appea when he con ex is illumina ed a e he da k-
ligh ansi ion; while in he case o human pa icipan s a pe cep ual and/o
a en ional mechanism a e bo h illumina ion ansi ions is p oposed, which may
esul in a educed p ocessing o he p epulse and subsequen lowe PPI.
Keywo ds: P epulse inhibi ion; No el y; Dopamine; Ra s; Humans.
1. In oduc ion.
The s a le esponse includes, among o he beha io s, he in olun a y
con ac ion o he skele al muscles and occu s a e he p esen a ion o a
s imulus o some in ensi y [1,2]. Typically, he s a le esponse is assessed by
quan i ying he in ensi y o muscle con ac ion a e he s imulus p esen a ion.
The s a le esponse is suscep ible o modula ion h ough a ious manipula ions
such as he epea ed p esen a ion o he s imulus, which can lead o habi ua ion
o sensi iza ion o he esponse [3,4], he induc ion o a pa icula emo ional
s a e p io o s imulus p esen a ion [5,6] o o changes in en i onmen al
condi ions in which he s imulus is p esen ed [7]. Ano he o m o modula ion o
he s a le esponse ha has ecei ed much a en ion om esea che s in he
ield o psychophysiology in he las decades is p epulse inhibi ion (PPI), a
phenomenon ha occu s when a s imulus o lowe in ensi y p ecedes he
p esen a ion o a s a ling s imulus, esul ing in he educ ion o he esponse o
he la e [8]. The occu ence and in ensi y o PPI depends on a numbe o
a iables such as he ime in e al be ween he p epulse and pulse s imuli [9],
hei in ensi y [10] o he backg ound noise le el in which he s imuli a e
p esen ed [11].
PPI is belie ed o e lec senso imo o ga ing abili ies, i.e., he abili y o
espond o po en ially ele an s imuli, simul aneously inhibi ing he p ocessing
o o he s imuli and/o esponses ha migh hinde he in-dep h p ocessing o a
s imulus unde analysis [12]. Acco ding o his poin o iew, PPI would e lec
an e ec i e inhibi ion o he mo o esponse o he s imulus o g ea e in ensi y
(pulse), ensu ing an in-dep h analysis o he p epulse s imulus (which p eceded
he pulse p esen a ion), and hus ep esen ing a simple example o
senso imo o modula ion [13].
The neu al ci cui y ha egula es bo h he s a le esponse o audi o y
s imuli as well as PPI has been cha ac e ized in de ail [8]. The neu al sys ems
o bo h he s a le esponse and PPI a e modula ed by a numbe o
neu o ansmi e s such as dopamine, GABA, glu ama e and ace ylcholine,
which egula e he magni ude o he s a le esponse and i s inhibi ion [8].
Zhang e al. [18] s udied he e ec o indi ec dopamine (DA) agonis s on PPI in
a s, and showed ha amphe amine adminis a ion esul ed in a dec ease in he
magni ude o PPI. S udies wi h schizoph enic pa ien s, a diso de cha ac e ized
among o he hings by a hype ac i i y o he dopamine gic sys em, suppo he
hypo hesis ela ing ele a ed dopamine elease wi h PPI a enua ion [21].
In addi ion o pha macological manipula ions, he e a e en i onmen al
changes ha can cause changes in dopamine gic ac i i y, such as he exposu e
o a no el s imulus o con ex [22,23]. An inc ease in co ical dopamine gic
ac i i y in a s indica es ha a no el s imulus is p esen ed o he animal, an
e ec ha is no ound wi h neu al o habi ua ed s imuli [24]. Wi h ega ds o he
subco ical dopamine sys em, he elease o dopamine in he nucleus
accumbens is ela ed o he pe cep ion o no el y [25].
Acco ding o he esul s p esen ed abo e, ex e nal changes in ol ing
he in oduc ion o new elemen s in he expe imen al si ua ion, such as a
manipula ion o he illumina ion condi ion in he a ea whe e he subjec is
loca ed, would impac he dopamine gic ac i i y and p oduce a modula ing
e ec on PPI [26]. Ou aim in his pape is o analyze he e ec ha
en i onmen al changes –namely, a a ia ion in he illumina ion condi ions- ha e
on he s a le esponse and PPI in bo h a s and humans. Based on he esul s
epo ed by Schmajuk e al [26] we expec ha exposu e o no el en i onmen al
si ua ions would p oduce a ansien inc ease in dopamine elease in bo h
co ical and subco ical egions [24] and he e o e cause a educ ion in PPI in
bo h a s and humans. Howe e , i is possible ha he e ec s on PPI may
depend on he ype o no el s imulus ha appea s in he expe imen al si ua ion,
since p e ious esul s wi h a s indica e ha PPI is educed a e a da k o ligh
ansi ion, bu no when he change is om ligh o da k [26]. I is possible ha
his lack o symme y in animals is es ic ed o he ansi ion om da k o ligh
due o he inc ease in su ounding isual s imuli ha occu s wi h a sudden
illumina ion inc ease.
2. Expe imen 1
The i s expe imen is designed o ep oduce he esul s ob ained by
Schmajuk e al. [26], namely he educ ion o he s a le esponse and PPI a e
a change o illumina ion in he expe imen al condi ion. Some changes o he
Schmajuk e al. [26] design we e in oduced in his expe imen : i s , a 90 dB
SPL p epulse was used ins ead o a 70 dB SPL s imulus, since in pilo s udies
in ou labo a o y no consis en PPI was ound wi h he la e p epulse in ensi y.
A second majo change was he use o male a s in ou expe imen , hus
elimina ing he sou ce o a iabili y ela ed o he ho monal changes ha occu
pe iodically in emale a s in es us unc ion [27], ha ha e been shown o
in luence PPI [28]. Thi d, in ou expe imen s Wis a a s we e used, ins ead o
he Sp ague-Dawley s ain es ed in Schmajuk e al. [26]. Fou h, in ou
expe imen he animals we e main ained unde a egula ligh -da k cycle,

ins ead unde a e e sed cycle ( hus, in ou expe imen he animals we e es ed
in hei ligh phase). A inal impo an change in he design was ha his
expe imen used a be ween-subjec s design in which each g oup o animals
ecei ed only one o he en i onmen al changes (ligh o da k [L/D] o da k o
ligh [D/L]) e sus he wi hin-subjec design used in Schmajuk e al. [26].
Based on he p e ious esul s ob ained by Schmajuk e al. [26], we
expec ha he illumina ion change would p oduce an a enua ion o PPI, bu
only when he change in ol es a ansi ion om da k o ligh .
2.1. Me hod
2.1.1. Subjec s
Six een male Wis a a s, expe imen ally naï e, pa icipa ed in his
expe imen . The mean weigh a he s a o he expe imen was 342 g . ( ange
297-410). Food and wa e we e a ailable ad libi um h oughou he expe imen .
Ra s we e indi idually housed in he colony wi h a egula ligh -da k cycle o
12:12 hou s. All es ing occu ed du ing he 12-h ligh pe iod (s a ing a 10:00
AM). Fou days be o e he s a o he expe imen al sessions, each o he
animals was handled 5 minu es daily.
2.1.2. Appa a us and s imuli
Fou Panlab chambe s (model LE 111) designed o de ec and eco d
he s a le esponse in a s we e used. Each chambe was enclosed in a sound-
p oo module (model LE 116), and inside each chambe a pe spex cylinde o 8
cm in diame e was a ached o he loo o he expe imen al chambe , es ing
on a pla o m ha egis e ed and eco ded each animal’s mo emen . A
loudspeake was p esen a he op o each chambe , which p oduced a
cons an backg ound whi e noise o 65 dB SPL. The pulse s imulus was a 20
ms, 120 dB SPL whi e noise, and he p e-pulse was a 20 ms, 90 dB SPL whi e
noise. The lead in e al in he p epulse-pulse ials was 100 ms, and he in e -
ial in e al was 30 sec (+/- 5). A 24V, 2W key ligh (ligh in ensi y o
app oxima ely 180 lx) was loca ed on he le side o he chambe .
Vib a ions o he Plexiglas enclosu e caused by he whole-body s a le
esponse o he animal we e con e ed in o analog signals by a piezoelec ic
uni a ached o he pla o m. These signals we e digi ized and s o ed by a
compu e as a linea pa ame e . The a e age s a le ac i i y was measu ed in a
100-ms ime window s a ing a he onse o he sound s imulus, whe eas he
a e age baseline ac i i y was measu ed by selec ing he highes esponse in
he in e al be ween ials.
2.1.3. P ocedu e
Fo he L/D g oup (n = 8) he key ligh inside he expe imen al chambe
was on om he beginning o he expe imen , while in he case o he D/L g oup
(n = 8) he key ligh was o . Once he a s we e in oduced in he expe imen al
chambe s, hey wen h ough a 5-minu e acclima ion pe iod in which he only
audi o y s imula ion p esen ed was he cons an 65-dB SPL backg ound noise,
which emained h oughou he expe imen . Following he acclima ion pe iod, 4
pulse-alone s imuli we e p esen ed wi h a mean in e - ial in e al ITI o 30 sec.
A e 6.5 addi ional minu es, 6 pulse-alone and 6 p epulse-pulse ials we e
andomly p esen ed, wi h a mean ITI o 30 sec (+/- 5). In p epulse-pulse ials
he in e al be ween he p epulse and pulse was 100 ms. Following his
sequence o ials, he change in ligh ing condi ion (ligh o da k o ice e sa,
depending on he g oup) was in oduced, and he same 6 pulse-alone and 6
p epulse-pulse ial sequence was p esen ed.
2.1.4. Resul s
A p elimina y 4 x 2 ANOVA (T ials x Condi ion: D/L s. L/D) conduc ed
on mean s a le esponses o he 4 pulse-alone ials p esen ed a he beginning
o he session e ealed no signi ican main e ec s o in e ac ions (all ps>.19)
Figu e 1 shows s a le esponses (exp essed in a bi a y uni s) o pulse-
alone and p epulse-pulse ials du ing he expe imen al phase. I also shows
mean esponse du ing in e ial in e als (no s imulus ials) compu ed by
collapsing he maximum spon aneous esponse by con iguous Pulse and
P epulse-pulse ITIs. Panel A p esen s he s a le esponses o a s in g oup
L/D, in which he i s block o ials ook place wi h he key ligh on, and he
second block wi h he key ligh o . Panel B shows he esul s o a s in g oup
D/L, in which he illumina ion condi ions we e e e sed. As seen in bo h panels
o Figu e 1, du ing he i s block he di e ence be ween esponses o pulse-
alone and p epulse-pulse ials (i.e., PPI) emained cons an . Howe e , he
in oduc ion o changes in illumina ion condi ions had a di e en ial e ec on he
s a le esponse in pulse-alone ials: while no change was obse ed in g oup
L/D (Panel A), PPI disappea ed ansien ly in g oup D/L du ing he i s ials in
he p esence o ligh (immedia ely a e he ansi ion) o g adually eco e o e
he emaining ials (panel B). The esponses du ing he no-s imulus pe iods
emains low and s able ac oss he en i e du a ion o he expe imen , hus
disca ding any possible loo e ec o he s a le esponse on he expe imen al
ials, bu showing a gene al inc ease a e he illumina ion ansi ion.
-----------------------------------------
Figu e 1 abou he e
-----------------------------------------
These imp essions we e con i med by a subsequen s a is ical analysis.
Speci ically, a 6 x 2 x 2 x 2 ANOVA es (T ials x T ial ype: pulse-alone s.
p epulse-pulse x Posi ion: i s block o six ials s. second block x G oup: L/D
s. D/L, wi h he i s h ee ac o s being wi hin-subjec ) on mean s a le
esponses e ealed a signi ican main e ec o T ial Type, F(1,14) = 35.54; p <
.001, η2 = .72, e lec ing he o e all PPI e ec . A signi ican T ials x Posi ion
in e ac ion was also ound, F(5,70) = 6.77; p < .001, η2 = .33, due o a gene al
end o s a le ampli ude o dec ease ac oss ials in he i s block o six ials,
and o inc ease in he second block. Finally, he 3-way T ial ype x Posi ion x
G oup in e ac ion was also signi ican , F(1,14) = 7.61; p < .05, η2 = .35. No
addi ional signi ican main e ec s o in e ac ions be ween ac o s we e ound (all
ps>.09). In o de o iden i y he sou ce o he 3-way in e ac ion, we conduc ed
sepa a e 2 x 2 ANOVAs (T ial ype x Posi ion) o L/D and o D/L g oups. The
ANOVA o he L/D g oup e ealed only a signi ican main e ec o T ial ype,
F(1,7) = 14.05; p < .01, η2 = .66, due o he gene al e ec o PPI. The ANOVA
es on mean s a le esponses o he D/L g oup e ealed a signi ican main
e ec o T ial ype, F(1,7) = 21.95; p < .01, η2 = .77, due o he PPI e ec , and a
end owa d a signi ican T ial ype x Block in e ac ion was ound, F(1,7) = 4.84;
p = .064, η2 = .35. The in e ac ion e lec s a end owa ds a lowe s a le
esponses in pulse-alone ials in he i s block o ials (mean = 42.24, SEM =
in e ac ion was also signi ican , F(3,66) = 3.26; p < .05, η2 = .13, e lec ing he
o e all dec ease o he s a le esponse ac oss ials due o habi ua ion in he
p e- ansi ion block ha did no appea in he pos - ansi ion ials, whe e he
s a le esponse was al eady habi ua ed. No addi ional main e ec s o
in e ac ions we e ound o be signi ican (all ps>.11).
Figu e 2 shows mean s a le esponses o pulse-alone and p epulse-
pulse ials, exp essed in a bi a y uni s. Panel A p esen s he s a le esponse
o g oup D/L ( he i s ials in da kness and he las es s in he p esence o
ligh ), while Panel B shows hese esponses o g oup L/D (wi h he i s six
ials in he p esence o ligh and he las six in he da k). In bo h cases, he
esponse pa e n was simila , wi h mo e in ense esponses in he i s six pulse-
alone ials compa ed o p epulse-pulse ials ( e lec ing he PPI) and an
inc ease in esponse o p epulse-pulse ials in he second block o ials, a e
he in oduc ion o he illumina ion change ( om ligh o da k o om da k o
ligh ).
--------------------------------------
Figu e 2 abou he e
--------------------------------------
A mixed 6 x 2 x 2 x 2 ANOVA (T ials x T ial ype: pulse-alone s.
p epulse-pulse x Posi ion: i s block o six ials s. second block x G oup: L/D
s. D/L, he i s h ee ac o s being wi hin-subjec ) e ealed signi ican main
e ec s o T ials and T ial ype, F(5,110) = 8.67; p < .001, η2 = .29, and F(1,22) =
32.44; p < .001, η2 = .60, espec i ely. The main e ec o T ials e lec s a
gene al dec ease o he s a le esponse ac oss ials due o a habi ua ion

p ocess; he main e ec o T ial ype was due o an o e all PPI e ec , wi h
highe s a le esponse o pulse-alone han p epulse-pulse ials (mean = 0.56,
SD = 0.38, and mean = 0.42, SD = 0.30, espec i ely). The T ials x T ial ype
in e ac ion was also signi ican , F(5,110) = 2.36; p < .05, η2 = .10, e lec ing a
dec ease o s a le in ensi y ac oss ials o he Pulse-alone, bu no o he
P epulse-Pulse ials. The T ial ype x Posi ion was also signi ican , F(1,22) =
14.39; p = .001, η2 = .40, due o he PPI e ec ob ained in he i s block o ials
ha anished on he second block. Finally, he T ials x T ial ype x Posi ion
in e ac ion was signi ican , F(5,110) = 4.06; p < .01, η2 = .16. An explo a ion o
his 3-way in e ac ion e ealed i was due o a dec ease ac oss ials o he PPI
e ec on he i s block o ials, and an absence o such PPI e ec on he
second block o ials. No addi ional main e ec s o in e ac ions we e ound o
be signi ican (all ps>.16)
4. Discussion
The esul s o bo h expe imen s show ha he p esen a ion o a no el
s imulus, speci ically he in oduc ion o a change in ambien illumina ion
condi ions, has an impo an e ec on he s a le esponse and PPI. In he i s
expe imen we ound ha he s a le esponse o a s in pulse-alone ials
dec eases as a esul o no el y –bu only a e he change was om da k o
ligh -, causing a dec ease PPI. In Expe imen 2, changes in illumina ion
condi ions – ega dless o hei di ec ion- caused an inc ease in he s a le
esponse on p epulse-pulse ials in humans, and a consequen dec ease in
PPI. Al hough yielding a simila ou come in e ms o PPI educ ion, he esul s o
bo h expe imen s a e clea ly di e en a ending o he way in which changes in
en i onmen al condi ions a ec he s a le esponse in pulse-alone and
p epulse-pulse ials.
The esul s o animal expe imen s ep oduce exac ly hose ob ained by
Schmajuk e al. [26], namely he dec ease in s a le esponse in pulse-alone
ials. Al hough ou Expe imen 1 did no o e any di ec neu obiological da a,
he beha io al da a a e consis en wi h he hypo hesis ha conside s he
obse ed s a le educ ion o he pulse media ed by he elease o dopamine in
he NAC induced by he in oduc ion o a no el s imulus ( he change in ambien
illumina ion). Acco ding o his iew, he ac i a ion o he dopamine gic sys em
would lead o he de elopmen o explo a o y beha io s ha would compe e
wi h he gene a ion o s a le esponses in pulse-alone ials, hus dec easing
hei ampli ude [26]. Se e al indings suppo his hypo hesis: Fi s , he e is
expe imen al e idence showing ha inc eased explo a o y beha io is
nega i ely co ela ed wi h he in ensi y o he s a le esponse o in ense s imuli
[32]; in addi ion, se e al s udies ha e e ealed ha con ex ual changes
in ol ing no el y a e posi i ely co ela ed wi h inc eased dopamine elease in
he NAC [33,34]. Thus, when Sp ague-Dawley a s we e exposed o an
un amilia no el en i onmen , an inc ease o dopamine loca ed in he NAC ha
pe sis s o abou 25 seconds was obse ed [35] Rebec e al. (1997). Using
mic odialysis s udies, dopamine elease in he NAC inc eased when Long-
E ans a s we e exposed o an en i onmen con aining no el objec s [36]. Such
phasic dopamine inc ease seems o be linked o he ac i i y o neu ons in
Ven al Subiculum (VS), since neu ons in his egion ac i a e glu ama e
ecep o s in he VTA (Ven al Tegmen al A ea) ha esul s in an inc ease o
dopamine in he NAC o no el s imuli. The e is also he possibili y ha VS di ec
glu ama e gic p ojec ions o neu ons o he NAC induce an inc ease in
dopamine o no el y, o ha i is ela ed o a ci cui in ol ing VS p ojec ions o
he p e on al co ex, which in u n in ol es glu ama e gic p ojec ions o VTA
[36]. In he case o change in he ambien illumina ion condi ion om ligh o
da k, i is possible ha he explo a o y beha io s ha compe e wi h he s a le
esponse in pulse-alone ials do no appea since he numbe o isual s imuli
a ailable o explo a ion in his condi ion dec eases. This possibili y was
con i med by he analysis o explo a o y beha io conduc ed on wo ials be o e
and a e he illumina ion change: an inc ease in explo a o y beha io was
obse ed only in he Da k- o-Ligh g oup.
The esul s o Expe imen 2 wi h human pa icipan s exhibi a di e en
pa e n om hose ob ained wi h animals. Fi s , he PPI educ ion e ec a e he
in oduc ion o he illumina ion change was symme ical, i.e., i was obse ed in
changes om da k o ligh as well as om ligh o da k. A second impo an
di e ence wi h he esul s ob ained in he expe imen wi h a s is ela ed o he
o igin o he obse ed educ ion in PPI. While o oden s PPI dec eased as a
consequence o a educ ion o he s a le esponse in he i s pulse-alone ials
a e he in oduc ion o he en i onmen al illumina ion change, in humans he
educ ion was due o an inc ease in s a le esponses in he i s p epulse-pulse
ials ollowing he illumina ion change. An addi ional di e ence be ween a s
and humans esul s is ela ed o he leng h o he e ec ha was es ic ed o
he i s wo ials in he expe imen wi h a s, bu ex ended ac oss he six pos -
change ials in he expe imen wi h humans. Howe e , as can be seen in
Figu e 2, he s a le educ ion o he Pulse, p obably due o habi ua ion, had
con ibu ed o he appa en a enua ion o PPI.
The e o e, acco ding o he expe imen al esul s, he cause o he
obse ed PPI educ ion in humans is necessa ily di e en om ha obse ed in
oden s, since all changes (no only ha induced by he eme gence o no el
s imuli in he en i onmen in oduced in he ligh condi ion, bu also he change
caused by he disappea ance o cues when he ligh was u ned o ) educed
PPI. An impo an ac o o conside when analyzing hese di e ences is ela ed
o he magni ude o he ligh sou ce used in he expe imen s wi h oden s and
humans. While in Expe imen 1 he s imulus used was a 2 W ligh , in he case
o Expe imen 2 a 36 W LED bulb loca ed 100 cm abo e he head o he
pa icipan s was employed. I is possible ha he illumina ion p o ided in he
oden ’s case could ha e acili a ed he appea ance o an o ien ing esponse o
he no el s imuli, causing he obse ed educ ion in PPI [26], whe eas in he
human expe imen , he mo e salien ligh could ha e launched pe cep ual
and/o a en ional p ocesses in addi ion o he ones exhibi ed by oden s. Thus,
a possible explana ion –albei specula i e- o ou esul s, is ha he
in oduc ion o se e e en i onmen al changes in he human expe imen may
ha e empo a ily changed he de ec ion h eshold o audi o y s imuli.
Using di e en p epa a ions o he ones employed in he p esen
expe imen s (e.g., c oss-modal oddball asks), e idence o he e ec s o
p esen ing dis ac ing s imuli on he p ocessing o s imuli o di e en senso y
modali y wi h human pa icipan s has been epo ed. Thus, using mainly
audi o y [37] and ac ile [38] s imuli, hese esea che s showed he exis ence o
wha hey call “pos -no el dis ac ion”, a p ocess ha e lec s he need o
edi ec a en ional esou ces om a no el o a a ge s imulus in he
expe imen al si ua ion [39]. Al hough admi edly specula i e, in addi ion o his
dis ac ing e ec , he in oduc ion o changes in ambien illumina ion condi ions
in Expe imen 2 may igge a second e ec ela ed o he a en ional shi
caused by he p esen a ion o an unexpec ed isual s imulus, which would slow
he p ocessing o an audi o y s imulus appea ing immedia ely a e wa ds [40-
41]. This slowing e ec , which esul s in inc eased esponse imes in eac ion
ime asks, appea s o be mo e signi ican when he s imuli p esen ed a e
unexpec ed [42]. In his case, he obse ed PPI would no indica e a
senso imo o ga ing e ec , bu e lec a ailu e o de ec he p epulse.
F om a psychophysiological pe spec i e, he dopamine gic ac i a ion
p oduced by he p esen a ion o no el s imuli can be ound on he basis o
di e en esponses gi en by pa icipan s h oughou he s udy. As men ioned
abo e, he e is a s ong co ela ion be ween dopamine elease in he nucleus
accumbens and he no el e ec o he con ex [33,34]. A dopamine-induced
dec ease in PPI when subjec s a e exposed o no el si ua ions could be
bene icial in he p esence o salien and possible ha m ul s imuli.

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