title: Psychophysiological research in psychiatry and neuropsychopharmacology. I. Methodological aspects of the Viennese Psychophysiological Test-System (VPTS).
abstract: In order to find a psychophysiological paradigm for clinical application we have developed the Viennese Psychophysiological Test-System (VPTS), which includes a special selection and combination of experimental situations, physiological measurements, behavioral measurements and data analysis. This study presents detailed information concerning these four aspects. Experimental situations are related to the human model of information processing, where short changes of stimulus-reaction-correlated processes are selected: resting conditions (eyes open, eyes closed), habituation-orienting test, psychomotor-performance test, signal-detection test and reaction-time test. Physiological measures include central and peripheral activity of the cerebrospinal and autonomic nervous system: cortical activity (spontaneous electroencephalogram, auditory evoked potentials, late positive components, slow potentials), ocular activity (eye and eyelid movements), electrodermal activity (skin conductance), cardiac activity (heart rate measurement), respiratory activity (rate of respiration) and peripheral vascular activity (finger pulse volume). Behavioral measurements extend from micro behavior to complex diagnostic systems: psychomotor measurements, self-reported mood, arousal and visceral perception, psychological and psychiatric interviews. The application of this test system in 15 elderly subjects of both sexes aged 58-77 years gives information which exceeds the sum of the singular constructing elements of the VPTS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Semlitsch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anderer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saletu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Resch
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Presslich
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schuster
mesh_terms: D004562:Electrocardiography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011603:Psychophysiology / Q000592:standards*; D011930:Reaction Time; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012119:Respiration