The Diagnostic Value of Peripheral Vasomotor Reactions in the Psychoneuroses

Abstract

A group of 50 normal subjects and of 21 psychiatric patients were tested with the optical finger plethysmograph and the records quantitatively analysed and compared. The psychiatric patients were divided into 2 subgroups: those with symptoms of anxiety, and those with hysterical and neuroasthenic symptoms. The following measurements of pulse volume were obtained for each subject: while relaxed; after cold water test; before deep breathing; and before simple mental tasks. The rate of finger volume changes with the cold water test and with tasks was also detd. The basic emotional tension and the emotional lability scores for each subject were computed from these measurements. No significant difference in emotional lability was found between the 2 groups of psycho-neurotic patients. Both groups of patients were, however, definitely more labile emotionally than the normal group. Both patient groups had measurements indicating a disturbed basic emotional tension. When compared with the normal control group, the anxiety group showed a displacement to the sympathetic side while the neurasthenic group exhibited a deviation to the parasympathetic side.