[Phasic Electrodermal Activity in Schizophrenia: Skin Conductance Response in Unmediated Schizophrenia Patients In Comparison to Normal Controls]

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Acknowledgement

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Abstract

The study of electrodermal activity (EDA) began over a century ago, and the phenomenon has been linked to many aspects of emotion, arousal and attention. A subset of studies has focused on the occurrence of EDA in sleep (EDAS). These investigations have led to definitive conclusions on when EDA is most likely to occur during the sleep cycle, i.e., slow-wave sleep. Studies have also shown that at least moderate stress tends to increase EDAS, but these studies have fallen short methodologically. The aims of the present study were: (a) to investigate the relation of negative affect and stress to EDAS, and to determine the extent to which these variables are predictive of EDAS; and (b) to explore the utility of EDAS as an index of sympathetic nervous system arousal and of sleep quality. Several additional hypotheses were also tested. Participants were 70 referrals to a local sleep disorders center. Subjects completed a demographic profile form and self-report measures of mood disturbance, worry and stress and underwent skin potential measurement during an overnight sleep study. Correlation and multiple regression analyses determined that weak relations exist between negative effect, worry and stress and EDAS, and that these variables are largely ineffective in predicting EDAS in a sleep-disordered population. Further, EDAS had no relation to self-reported sleep quality in this sample. Additional analyses found significant associations between apneic and periodic limb movement events and both central (EEG) and autonomic arousals (EDAS), and that a combination of both central and autonomic nervous system arousal variables might provide a better indicator of the amount of sleep disturbance present.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION6

Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin: Apocrine versus Eccrine Sweat Glands7

Recording of Electrodermal Activity: Skin Conductance, Resistance, and Potential8

Neural Mechanisms/Pathways and Electrodermal Activity11

Important Considerations in Electrodermal Measurement12

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW14

Electrodermal Activity and Behavior14

Electrodermal Activity and Motor Performance15

Electrodermal Activity and Mental Activity15

Electrodermal Activity and Psychopathology16

Schizophrenia17

Antisocial Personality Disorder/Psychopathy18

Electrodermal Activity During Sleep19

Nocturnal Electrodermal Activity amidst Subgroups22

Presleep Activity/Stress and Electrodermal Activity in Sleep24

Electrodermal Activity and Social and Employment Outcome………………………………26

Electrodermal Activity and Symptomatic Outcome…………………………………….…….29

Summary and Study Rationale…………………………………………………………………..32

Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Autonomic Arousal…………………………………………….35

Chapter 1: Introduction

The empirical study of electric alterations in human skin started over 100 years ago. Since then, a broad kind of periods have been utilized to mark this occurrence encompassing galvanic skin answer, psycho galvanic skin answer, skin opposition answer, skin conductance answer, skin promise answer and electrodermal activity. Historically, the most broadly engaged period to recount this occurrence has been ...