ANXIETY AND AN AUTONOMIC REACTION TO PAIN

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Abstract
In 36 psychiatric patients the sudomotor response (psychogalvanic reflexes) was studied by physiological and psychological stimuli and the pain tolerance measured. The "more anxious" and the "less anxious" groups did not have significantly different pain tolerances and sudomotor responses to three types of stimuli; a deep breath, an electric shock and a warning light. The psychological responsiveness was greater in the "more anxious" group, which was characterized by a tendency to form anticipatory sets accompanied by a greater degree of autonomic disturbance.

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