Using Virtual Reality to Study Pre-Pulse Inhibition

Pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) refers to the decrease in the response to a startling stimulus (such as a loud sound burst) when another weak stimulus precedes it closely in time. This startle response inhibition is believed to reflect sensory-motor gating, that is, the brain’s ability to modulate its sensitivity to incoming sensory stimuli. The effect of context on PPI and startle inhibition long has been studied using simple sounds (e.g., white noise bursts) that have little to no ecological validity. Thus, previous studies have been limited by a lack of “real world” ecological validity in the experimental platforms used to study PPI. In the present study, we aim to replicate previous studies using the standard white noise sound bursts, and as a next step we will use these sounds in response to real world contexts depicted in virtual environments (situations involving neighborhood, restaurants, and interactions with people).