The startle response (response to a loud noise, for instance) is a reflex that is wired into the brain at a very basic level. Although everybody has such a reflex, the strength and quickness of the startle response is modified by a subject's underlying psychoneurological state. The nature of this modification, therefore, is now seen as an accurate, objective measure of very deep neurological processes. This book is a comprehensive volume devoted to startle modification and offers a unique overview of the methods, measurement, physiology and psychology of the phenomenon, particularly modification of the human startle eyeblink. Chapters are written by many of the world's leading investigators in the field and include coverage of elicitation and recording of startle blink, issues in measurement and quantification, the neurophysiological basis of the basic startle response and its modification by attentional and affective processes, psychological processes underlying short and long lead interval modification (including prepulse inhibition), applications of startle modification to the study of psychopathology, including schizophrenia, affective disorders, and psychopathy, developmental processes and relationships with ERPs and behavioural measures of information processing.

"In summary, this book succeeds because it is one of the first texts to comprehensively review this newly emergent and important research area...I look forward to a second edition in a few years time that could deservedly be called a Handbook of Startle Modification. Contemporary Psychology

"This is a valuable and comprehensive new book in which the state of knowledge of the research paradigm of startle modification is summarized. Researchers who work in psychophysiology should read and refer to this book." Doody Publishing, Inc.

"...this book succeeds because it is one of the first texts to comprehensively review this newly emergent and important research area. It provides an excellent starting point for both the graduate student and experienced researcher wishing to incorporate startle modification procedures in to their work...I strongly urge researchers interested in the interrelationships between attentional and affective processes but who have not explored the startle modification paradigm, to acquire a copy of this book to immerse themselves into this fascinating area of study." Contemporary Psychology, APA Review of Books