title: Loss of time-organized sympathetic skin responses in acute psychosis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to differentiate the response pattern characteristics of sympathetic skin responses (SSR) between unmedicated first psychotic subjects and healthy controls. We recorded SSR to novel auditory stimuli in 13 psychotic subjects and in 19 controls. There was no constant delay between a sudden change in the acoustic surroundings and SSR in psychotic subjects, whereas regularly this delay was 1.3 to 1.8 seconds in controls. The validity of the test was evaluated by blind rating responses to two categories. The lack of a regular time delay between a novel auditory stimulus and SSR suggests a timing disturbance in the neural networks regulating the autonomic nervous system responses in acute psychosis. Our finding and method may have future implications in evaluation of subtle autonomic nervous system alterations related, e.g., to drug effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Kuopio, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valkonen-Korhonen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karjalainen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lehtonen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koistinen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Partanen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karhu
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*