RESPONSE TIME AND ELECTRODERMAL MEASURES IN CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIA

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Abstract
Chlorpromazine was found to be associated with decreases in GSR [galvanic skin response] amplitude and response time when schizophrenics were asked to judge unpleasant words but not when they were asked to judge neutral words. These data were interpreted to mean that chlorpromazine reduces anxiety over threatening stimuli. Chlorpromazine was also associated with a decrease in number of spontaneous GSRs in schizophrenics. Since schizophrenics were found to be much higher in rate of spontaneous GSRs than normals, the decrease in rate was interpreted to mean that chlorpromazine also reduces general anxiety or arousal. Finally, chlorpromazine wasa ssociated with a decrease in the ratio of spontaneous to specific GSRs. This decrease indicated that the schizophrenic on chlorpromazine was responding more frequently to externally than to internally originating stimuli. It was concluded from these data that such a reduction in noise would decrease interference and tend to improve ego integration. Chlorpromazine was not associated with any change in judgment, number of responders, conductance levels, reaction time, tapping speed or number of specific GSRs. Furthermore, when stimuli were neutral, chlorpromazine was not associated with any decrease in amplitude of GSR or judgmental response time. The failure of chlorpromazine to affect reaction time suggests that chlorpromazine does not affect any basic psychological disturbance in schizophrenia. Several changes observed in the placebo group indicated decreases in general arousal and resistance, and an increase in discrimination of threatening and nonthreatening stimuli. Increasing failure to anticipate was assumed to be a factor in these changes.

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