Effects of startle on cognitive performance and physiological activity revealed by fNIRS and thermal imaging.

ABSTRACT: Sudden and threatening stimuli can trigger a startle reflex, a stereotyped physiological response that may lead to a brief cognitive incapacitation. Better understanding this reaction would be beneficial to safety-critical occupational domains. We characterized some physiological correlates of the startle response while participants completed a difficult task (Toulouse N-back task) tapping executive functions. During the task, loud and threatening sounds were presented unpredictably to trigger a startle reflex. Brain activity and facial skin temperature were measured in 34 participants using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and functional infrared thermal imaging (fITI), respectively. In the high difficulty condition, participants were generally less efficient, but their perfo

SUBMITTER: Schwartz F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11865621 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature