Fear-potentiated startle predicts longitudinal change in transdiagnostic symptom dimensions of anxiety and depression

Elevated defensive responding, through startle reflex (SR) and skin conductance response (SCR), may contribute to onset and maintenance of depression and anxiety. Most work examining SR and SCR has predicted psychiatric diagnoses. There is a paucity of research examining links between SR or SCR and dimensional measures of psychopathology. We used latent growth curve modeling to predict longitudinal change in three symptom factors (i.e., General Distress, Fears, Anhedonia-Apprehension) from SR and SCR measured during a fear-potentiated startle paradigm among adolescents oversampled for neuroticism (N = 129). Elevated SCR in danger phases before and after an unpleasant muscle contraction predicted increasing Fears over time. Elevated SR in safe phases post-contraction also predicted increasing Fears over time. Attenuated SR in safe phases post-contraction predicted elevated General Distress longitudinally. Attenuated SCR pre-contraction in danger phases predicted elevated Anhedonia-Apprehension over time. Our non-clinical sample may limit generalizability of results. Additionally, we did not assess change in SR and SCR over time. The present study demonstrates that SR and SCR during a fear-potentiated startle paradigm predict longitudinal change in dimensional anxiety and depression symptom factors and relatedly, that SR and SCR may represent risk factors for the exacerbation of symptomatology. •Fear startle in safe phases after a muscle contraction predicts fears.•Lower startle in safe phases post-contraction predicts general distress.•Fear arousal in danger phases pre- and post-contraction predicts fears.•Lower fear arousal pre-contraction in danger phases predicts anhedonia-apprehension.