Using airpuffs to elicit the human blink reflex

The startle response—a reflex organized at the level of the brainstem—has gained increased popularity during the past 20 years among psychophysiologists as both an investigative tool and an object of exploration in its own right. This article describes a method for eliciting the reflex eyeblink using a puff of air; the equipment and its operation are described. Airpuff-elicited reflexes are proposed as an informative adjunct to acoustic, photic, and electrocutaneous blink reflexes, particularly for some very young and aged subject populations.