BIS/BAS sensitivity and emotional modulation in a prepulse-inhibition paradigm: A brain potential study

We investigated whether prepulse inhibition (PPI) is sensitive to emotion modulation vis-à-vis individual differences in the sensitivity of the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral activation system (BAS). Participants (n = 50) performed a PPI task while recording the eyeblink reflex and auditory evoked potentials (i.e., N100 and P200). The results showed an increase in PPI from positive to negative stimuli at parietal sites, for both the N100 and P200. The N100 wave of the auditory evoked potential was sensitive to emotional valence high in arousal, whereas the P200 wave was sensitive to emotional valence low in arousal. Importantly, individual differences in BAS sensitivity, but not BIS sensitivity, influenced the emotional modulation of the startle response and PPI. This influence was most evident for the N100. Our findings are consistent with previous reports showing that PPI is sensitive to emotion modulation. The current results extent previous findings by highlighting the importance of the combined influence of valence and arousal. The findings indicate that state and trait emotions bias selective encoding of affective stimuli thereby priming behavioral output.