Habituation of the psycho-galvanic reflex in patients with anxiety states and in normal subjects

Journal/Book: J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. 1964 27 210. 1964;

Abstract: From the Institute of Psychiatry Maudsley Hospital London and the Department of Pharmacology University College London SUMMARY The palmar skin resistance was recorded in 20 patients with anxiety states and 20 normal controls matched for age and sex. After a rest period 20 identical auditory stimuli were applied automatically at intervals varying from 45 to 80 seconds to form a standard habituation procedure. The background skin conductance levels tended to rise throughout the recording session in the patients whereas it fell in the normal group. Habituation of the psycho-galvanic reflexes to the stimuli was much less rapid in the patients. Spontaneous skin conductance fluctuations were more frequent in the patients. Three variables-change in conductance during the experiment rate of habituation and the number of fluctuations at the end of the experiment-were combined in a discriminant-function analysis. The scores obtained correlated significantly with independent ratings of overt anxiety made immediately before the physiological recordings. A preliminary theory of the mechanism of anxiety based an the relationship between central nervous system activity and the rate of habituation was outlined. This work was supported by gram No. MY-3561 from the National Institute of Mental Health of the U.S. Public Health Service. The authors wish to acknowledge their indebtedness to Professor H. O. Schild and Dr. M. Shepherd for their advice and encouragement. ___MH

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