Electrodermal activity in schizophrenics: Further considerations.

Abstract

A number of reports are discussed that challenge the generality of the conclusions of a recent review that schizophrenics show both slower habituation than normal subjects for electro dermal activity and that they show a greater frequency of spontaneous electrodermal responses. More generally, there is evidence of abnormally low electrodermal activity and responsiveness among some schizophrenics. And there" is evidence of systematic trends in the behavior of such patients paralleling their physiological abnormalities. It appears that theories of schizophrenia need to account for the occurrence of hyperelectrodermal, hypoelectrodermal, and "paradoxical" electrodermal reactivity and tonic activity in connection with the disorder.1 Grateful acknowledgment is extended to David T. Lykken and Auke Tellegen for their helpful suggestions on earlier drafts of this manuscript.

The electrodermal orienting response to auditive stimuli in autistic children, normal children, mentally retarded children, and child psychiatric patients

“…Lynn (1963), Jordan (1974), Buchsbaum (1976), Keuss and Orlebeke (1977), and Venables (1977) referred to this phenomenon as a "paradoxical reaction" that protects the organism from being overwhelmed by stimulation. We could imagine that such a paradoxical reaction produces "nonresponsiveness" to the first trial and, when inhibition increases, also to the first three or even to all trials.…”

The electrodermal orienting response to auditive stimuli in autistic children, normal children, mentally retarded children, and child psychiatric patients

“…Lynn (1963), Jordan (1974), Buchsbaum (1976), Keuss and Orlebeke (1977), and Venables (1977) referred to this phenomenon as a "paradoxical reaction" that protects the organism from being overwhelmed by stimulation. We could imagine that such a paradoxical reaction produces "nonresponsiveness" to the first trial and, when inhibition increases, also to the first three or even to all trials.…”

Anxiety, arousal, and schizophrenia: A theoretical integration.

“…The highly anxious, acute schizophrenics who were classified by Claridge (1967) and Des Lauriers and Carlson (1969) as activated psychotics appear to be consistent with acute paranoids who: should be highly differentiated in cognitive control (Witkin, 1965); show pathology reduction after tachistoscopic subliminal merging stimulation (Silverman & Spiro, 1967;Silverman et al, 1971); have relatively good premorbid history and prognosis on the Phillips (1953) scale such that they would be classified as reactive schizophrenics; show "overinclusive" thinking and distractibility on Tucker, Harrow, Detre, and Hoffman (1969) measures; and display fragmented thinking as denned by Wynne and Singer (1963). The neurophysiological functions for this activated group should be consistent with an increase in the generalized tonic arousal (I) group showing high sedation threshold with low spiral aftereffect (Claridge, 1967), hyperelectrodermal responsivity on GSR (Jordan, 1974), accelerated heart rate (Claridge, 1967), and possibly high systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes in response to stimulation (Claridge, 1967). This group should show relatively rapid clinical recovery when their arousal functions return to equilibrium, and general neurophysiological measures may be closer to normals.…”

“…A theory of schizophrenia as a function, in part, of disequilibrium between the two arousal systems appears to be able to account for the bimodal distributions obtained in the electrodermal responsiveness of schizophrenics to auditory and visual stimuli in research cited by Jordan (1974). The hyperelectrodermal and hypoelectrodermal activity and reactivity, as well as "paradoxical" patterns of responsiveness among various subgroups of schizophrenics and at times within the same individual (Jordan, 1974), could also be explained by such a disequilibrium.…”

Electrodermal activity and schizophrenia: The problem of stimulus intensity modulation.

“…Several studies have shown similar findings for electrodermal measures. Besides the studies cited by Jordan (1974) ing decreased electrodermal reactivity in nonparanoid schizophrenics with increased general arousal (Gruzelier, Lykken, & Venables, 1972). But more to the point, Smith (1967) found that whereas a group of withdrawn schizophrenics showed smaller electrodermal responses to a series of 110-dB tones than to a series of 70-dB tones, active schizophrenics and normal subjects exhibited increased responsivity.…”

The electrodermal orienting response to auditive stimuli in autistic children, normal children, mentally retarded children, and child psychiatric patients

“…Lynn (1963), Jordan (1974), Buchsbaum (1976), Keuss and Orlebeke (1977), and Venables (1977) referred to this phenomenon as a "paradoxical reaction" that protects the organism from being overwhelmed by stimulation. We could imagine that such a paradoxical reaction produces "nonresponsiveness" to the first trial and, when inhibition increases, also to the first three or even to all trials.…”

Anxiety, arousal, and schizophrenia: A theoretical integration.

“…The highly anxious, acute schizophrenics who were classified by Claridge (1967) and Des Lauriers and Carlson (1969) as activated psychotics appear to be consistent with acute paranoids who: should be highly differentiated in cognitive control (Witkin, 1965); show pathology reduction after tachistoscopic subliminal merging stimulation (Silverman & Spiro, 1967;Silverman et al, 1971); have relatively good premorbid history and prognosis on the Phillips (1953) scale such that they would be classified as reactive schizophrenics; show "overinclusive" thinking and distractibility on Tucker, Harrow, Detre, and Hoffman (1969) measures; and display fragmented thinking as denned by Wynne and Singer (1963). The neurophysiological functions for this activated group should be consistent with an increase in the generalized tonic arousal (I) group showing high sedation threshold with low spiral aftereffect (Claridge, 1967), hyperelectrodermal responsivity on GSR (Jordan, 1974), accelerated heart rate (Claridge, 1967), and possibly high systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes in response to stimulation (Claridge, 1967). This group should show relatively rapid clinical recovery when their arousal functions return to equilibrium, and general neurophysiological measures may be closer to normals.…”

“…A theory of schizophrenia as a function, in part, of disequilibrium between the two arousal systems appears to be able to account for the bimodal distributions obtained in the electrodermal responsiveness of schizophrenics to auditory and visual stimuli in research cited by Jordan (1974). The hyperelectrodermal and hypoelectrodermal activity and reactivity, as well as "paradoxical" patterns of responsiveness among various subgroups of schizophrenics and at times within the same individual (Jordan, 1974), could also be explained by such a disequilibrium.…”

Electrodermal activity and schizophrenia: The problem of stimulus intensity modulation.

“…Several studies have shown similar findings for electrodermal measures. Besides the studies cited by Jordan (1974) ing decreased electrodermal reactivity in nonparanoid schizophrenics with increased general arousal (Gruzelier, Lykken, & Venables, 1972). But more to the point, Smith (1967) found that whereas a group of withdrawn schizophrenics showed smaller electrodermal responses to a series of 110-dB tones than to a series of 70-dB tones, active schizophrenics and normal subjects exhibited increased responsivity.…”

The electrodermal orienting response to auditive stimuli in autistic children, normal children, mentally retarded children, and child psychiatric patients

“…Lynn (1963), Jordan (1974), Buchsbaum (1976), Keuss and Orlebeke (1977), and Venables (1977) referred to this phenomenon as a "paradoxical reaction" that protects the organism from being overwhelmed by stimulation. We could imagine that such a paradoxical reaction produces "nonresponsiveness" to the first trial and, when inhibition increases, also to the first three or even to all trials.…”

Anxiety, arousal, and schizophrenia: A theoretical integration.

“…The highly anxious, acute schizophrenics who were classified by Claridge (1967) and Des Lauriers and Carlson (1969) as activated psychotics appear to be consistent with acute paranoids who: should be highly differentiated in cognitive control (Witkin, 1965); show pathology reduction after tachistoscopic subliminal merging stimulation (Silverman & Spiro, 1967;Silverman et al, 1971); have relatively good premorbid history and prognosis on the Phillips (1953) scale such that they would be classified as reactive schizophrenics; show "overinclusive" thinking and distractibility on Tucker, Harrow, Detre, and Hoffman (1969) measures; and display fragmented thinking as denned by Wynne and Singer (1963). The neurophysiological functions for this activated group should be consistent with an increase in the generalized tonic arousal (I) group showing high sedation threshold with low spiral aftereffect (Claridge, 1967), hyperelectrodermal responsivity on GSR (Jordan, 1974), accelerated heart rate (Claridge, 1967), and possibly high systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes in response to stimulation (Claridge, 1967). This group should show relatively rapid clinical recovery when their arousal functions return to equilibrium, and general neurophysiological measures may be closer to normals.…”

“…A theory of schizophrenia as a function, in part, of disequilibrium between the two arousal systems appears to be able to account for the bimodal distributions obtained in the electrodermal responsiveness of schizophrenics to auditory and visual stimuli in research cited by Jordan (1974). The hyperelectrodermal and hypoelectrodermal activity and reactivity, as well as "paradoxical" patterns of responsiveness among various subgroups of schizophrenics and at times within the same individual (Jordan, 1974), could also be explained by such a disequilibrium.…”

Electrodermal activity and schizophrenia: The problem of stimulus intensity modulation.

“…Several studies have shown similar findings for electrodermal measures. Besides the studies cited by Jordan (1974) ing decreased electrodermal reactivity in nonparanoid schizophrenics with increased general arousal (Gruzelier, Lykken, & Venables, 1972). But more to the point, Smith (1967) found that whereas a group of withdrawn schizophrenics showed smaller electrodermal responses to a series of 110-dB tones than to a series of 70-dB tones, active schizophrenics and normal subjects exhibited increased responsivity.…”