ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC STUDIES OF EMOTIONAL STATES IN NORMAL SUBJECTS

Abstract

With electrodes placed over temporal muscles subjects were read "neutral" or "emotional" words from a modified Jung list. Each word was repeated and the subject, from whom no verbal response was required, was asked to concentrate on its meaning. The next word followed in 15 sec. Also, subjects were told stories about something repulsive to them. In relaxed subjects only EEG recordings were obtained, no activity being recorded from the relaxed muscles. Many words caused depression of activity but action potentials, recorded as muscle spikes, were the responses studied. Frequency of response varied but began low and increased with stimulus intensity. Amplitude reached 1.5 millivolts in intense stimulation. Duration varied with intensity of stimulus.