Fear Potentiated Startle to Safety Cues is Related to Anxious Arousal in PTSD

Abstract

The inability to inhibit fear is a hallmark of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prior research has shown that hyperarousal symptoms of PTSD are related to greater fear-potentiated startle (FPS) to safe stimuli, particularly during the middle and late phases of fear acquisition. Factor analysis models of PTSD symptom structure have shown that hyperarousal symptoms can be separated into anxious and dysphoric arousal clusters. This study tested the hypothesis that anxious but not dysphoric arousal symptoms would be significantly related to FPS to safe stimuli (CS-) during middle and late fear acquisition.