Studies show that this response happens extremely fast, with information ( in this case a loud noise ) reaching the pons within 3 to 8 ms and the full startle reflex occurring in less than two tenths of a second.
22.
"Our study suggests that the startle reflex may provide doctors with an objective test to more accurately diagnose peoople with post traumatic stress disorder, " said Dr . Dennis Charney of the West Haven Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Connecticut.
23.
It was the first study to measure the startle reflexes of Gulf War vets, and the researchers found that the fear reflex of men and women who had gone to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait was much stronger than that of the other veterans and civilians.
24.
In mice sensation of acoustic information via the vestibular system has been demonstrated to have a behaviourally relevant effect; response to an elicited acoustic startle reflex is larger in the presence of loud, low frequency sounds that are below the threshold for the mouse cochlea ( ~ 4 Hz ), raising the possibility that the acoustic sensitivity of the vestibular system may extend the hearing range of small mammals.
