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

Casa Rivas, Luis Gonzalo de La; Fernández del Olmo, Aarón; Larrauri, Jose; Mena, Auxiliadora; Puentes, Andrea; Quintero Sánchez, Esperanza; Schmajuk, Nestor

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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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]. 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