title: Blood phobia and spider phobia: two specific phobias with different autonomic cardiac modulations.
abstract: Cardiac reactions to two fear-related and one control film were compared in individuals high in spider or blood/injury fear. Twelve subjects in each phobic group were selected on the basis of their scores in the Spider or Mutilation Questionnaires and a semi-structured interview. Cardiac responses and self-reported affective ratings to the films were investigated. Sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac influences were indexed by T-wave amplitude and respiratory sinus arrhythmia measured during film viewing. Basal parasympathetic cardiac control was also assessed during a paced breathing task. Results indicate differential autonomic modulation of cardiac responses for blood and spider phobics. Although each group reacted with marked cardiac activation to its feared stimulus, a sympathetic increase followed by withdrawal over time was found in blood phobics. Greater vagal tone at rest was present in blood phobics compared with spider phobics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy. sarlo@mail.psy.unipd.it
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarlo
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palomba
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angrilli
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stegagno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001769:Blood; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D013112:Spiders; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology