Evidence for Startle Effects due to Externally Induced Lower Limb Movements: Implications in Neurorehabilitation

Figure 4

Latency and area-under-the-curve of startle reflexes according to stimulus location. The plots represent onset latencies and iEMG in orbicularis oculi (OOc) and sternocleidomastoid (SMC) muscles from all subjects obtained in conditions 240StartReact and 240ContraStartReact. Each box represents 50% of all values intersected by the median; the whiskers indicate the smallest and largest values. When the imperative signal was applied in the less expected (right) leg (condition 240ContraStartReact), orbicularis oculi (OOc) latencies were significantly shorter than when imperative signal was applied in the most frequently moved (left) leg (condition 240StartReact). In condition 240ContraStartReact both OOc and SCM showed significantly larger responses. Asterisks above the boxes define the level of significance of between-group comparisons (; ).