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Skin Conductance Level (skin + conductance_level)
Selected AbstractsDefense Mechanisms and Physiological Reactivity to StressJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 2 2003Phebe Cramer The relation between the use of defense mechanisms and autonomic nervous system reactivity, under conditions of laboratory stress, was studied in 78 men and women. Both diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and skin conductance level (SCL) were monitored during exposure to ten stress tasks; concurrently, the use of three defense mechanisms was assessed by coding Thematic Apperception Test stories. Autonomic reactivity was found to be related to defenses; the nature of that relation differed across the defenses. DBP, typically found to be associated with cognitive work, was higher in those individuals who used more Identification, a defense that requires greater cognitive activity. The use of Projection, on the other hand, was associated with lower DBP. In addition, the use of Identification showed a tendency to be associated with lower SCL. [source] Effect of local application of cold or heat for relief of pricking painNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 3 2002Yuka Saeki RN, phdArticle first published online: 17 SEP 200 Abstract The present study was designed to determine the effect of the application of cold or heat on the sensation of pricking pain based on autonomic responses. Electrical stimulation was applied to the antebrachium or brachium of subjects as an artificial pricking pain, and skin blood flow (BF) and skin conductance level (SCL) at the fingertip were measured. Pain sensation was evaluated using the visual analog scale. Pain stimulation produced a significant increase in SCL and a significant decrease in BF at both the antebrachium and brachium. Application of cold to the stimulation site using an ice-water pack reduced BF and SCL responses and pain sensation. Application of heat using a hot water bottle caused a significant increase in pain sensation and enhancement of BF and SCL responses. These results suggest that application of cold promotes relief of pricking pain sensation and suppression of autonomic responses, and that application of heat has no such effect. It is important that nurses ascertain the type of pain or source of pain and take proper measures for its relief. [source] Validation of sternal skin conductance for detection of hot flashes in prostate cancer survivorsPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Laura J. Hanisch Abstract The gold standard for objectively measuring hot flashes in women is an increased sternal skin conductance level (SCL), but validation studies in prostate cancer patients are lacking. In the laboratory, an SCL increase of ,1.78 micro-mho in 45 s had a sensitivity of 68% and a positive predictive value of 100% in detecting self-reported hot flashes among prostate cancer patients. Outside the laboratory, 71% of the objective markers of hot flashes were accompanied by a subjective report of a hot flash, and 65% of subjective reports occurred in the absence of an objective criterion. This study demonstrates that sternal skin conductance can be used to detect hot flashes in men in a manner analogous to its utilization among women. Such use would improve outcome analysis of treatment studies. [source] Electrodermal predictors of functional outcome and negative symptoms in schizophreniaPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Anne M. Schell Abstract The ability of electrodermal variables to predict negative symptoms and functional outcome over a 1-year period in schizophrenia was investigated in 78 young, recent-onset outpatients. Patients were stabilized on standardized medication and largely free of psychotic symptoms. Higher levels of both tonic (skin conductance level, nonspecific skin conductance response rate) and phasic (number of skin conductance orienting responses) activity were associated with more negative symptoms and with a combination of poorer social and occupational outcome at 1-year follow-up. This pattern was seen in both male and female patients, and in older and younger patients. Results are interpreted as suggesting that high levels of arousal and overreactivity to the environment may interfere with efficient cognitive processing in schizophrenia, contributing to poor outcome, and that negative symptoms might partially serve as a means of coping with overarousal. [source] The temporal stability of electrodermal variables over a one-year period in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia and in normal subjectsPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Anne M. Schell Test,retest stability of electrodermal (EDA) variables indexing both general autonomic arousal (e.g., skin conductance level, number of nonspecific skin conductance responses) and attention to external stimuli (e.g., number of skin conductance orienting responses, electrodermal responder/nonresponder status) was assessed in 71 young, recent-onset schizophrenia patients and 36 demographically matched normal subjects. Significant stability over a 1-year period was found for both patients and normal subjects for most EDA variables and for responder/nonresponder status, with test,retest correlations generally being higher for normal subjects. The lower reliability for patients was not attributable to symptomatic fluctuations during the follow-up period and may reflect poorer arousal regulation among the patients. Among measures of responding to nontask stimuli, a simple count of the number of orienting responses occurring was more stable than was a traditional trials-to-habituation measure. [source] Human attachment security is mediated by the amygdala: Evidence from combined fMRI and psychophysiological measuresHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 8 2006Erwin Lemche Abstract The neural basis of human attachment security remains unexamined. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and simultaneous recordings of skin conductance levels, we measured neural and autonomic responses in healthy adult individuals during a semantic conceptual priming task measuring human attachment security "by proxy". Performance during a stress but not a neutral prime condition was associated with response in bilateral amygdalae. Furthermore, levels of activity within bilateral amygdalae were highly positively correlated with attachment insecurity and autonomic response during the stress prime condition. We thereby demonstrate a key role of the amygdala in mediating autonomic activity associated with human attachment insecurity. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Clitoral Photoplethysmograph: A New Way of Assessing Genital Arousal in WomenTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2009Jeroen Gerritsen MSc ABSTRACT Introduction., In the present study, we introduce clitoral photoplethysmography as an instrument to assess clitoral blood volume (CBV). In research on female sexual functioning, vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA), as measured using vaginal photoplethysmography, has been used extensively as a measure of vaginal vasocongestion. Measurement of clitoral blood flow has thus far been problematic, mainly because of methodological constraints. Aim., To demonstrate that CBV is a valuable, easy to use complementary measure for the female sexual response, offering additional information to the VPA. Methods., Thirty women with and without female sexual dysfunction (FSD) watched neutral and erotic film clips. At the end of the erotic clip, the session was interrupted to induce inhibition of the sexual response. Another neutral clip followed the interruption. VPA and CBV were measured simultaneously, as well as skin conductance levels (SCLs), to assess the amount of sympathetic activity. Main Outcome Measures., VPA, CBV, SCL. Results., For both FSD and non-FSD women, VPA and CBV increased when sexually explicit material was presented. Changes in skin conductance significantly predicted changes in CBV (b = ,0.61, t[27] = ,3.88, P < 0.001), but not in VPA. A large increase in sympathetic activity was accompanied by a large decrease in CBV. Furthermore, a large increase in CBV at the end of the erotic film clip presentation, as compared with the neutral clip, was accompanied by a relatively small increase in VPA (b = ,0.39, t[29] = ,2.25, P < 0.033). Conclusion., CBV is a valid and sensitive tool to measure the female genital response. In the present study, it was particularly useful in investigating sexual inhibition, when used in combination with SCL. Furthermore, high CBV appeared to inhibit VPA, suggesting that VPA reflects an automatic preparatory response rather than genital arousal per se. Gerritsen J, van der Made F, Bloemers J, van Ham D, Kleiverda G, Everaerd W, Olivier B, Levin R, and Tuiten A. The clitoral photoplethysmograph: A new way of assessing genital arousal in women. J Sex Med 2009;6:1678,1687. [source] | |||||||||||||