Psychophysiological reactivity under mental stress in atopic dermatitis.
BACKGROUND
An association of mental stress with atopic dermatitis is widely accepted. However, no long-term evaluation of psychophysiological reactivity over the course of disease has yet been performed.


OBJECTIVE
We examined whether atopic dermatitis patients have an increased psychophysiological reactivity compared to healthy controls and in between acute and disease-free phases, and whether they differ in psychological state and trait variables.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with atopic dermatitis underwent a stress test during acute exacerbation and after symptom improvement and were compared to matched controls.


RESULTS
Psychophysiological responses to stress were not stronger in the patient group than in the controls. Nevertheless, the patients had a higher heart rate and lower vagal activity throughout the resting and stress phases at both examination times. The patients showed significantly higher anxiety, depression and emotional excitability, and self-ratings of inactivity clearly distinguished acute phases from remission.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an increased vegetative excitability level in patients with atopic dermatitis, which cannot be attributed solely to increased disease activity.
Seiffert
Kristina
K
Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany. krs2002@med.cornell.edu
Hilbert
Edwin
E
Schaechinger
Hartmut
H
Zouboulis
Christos C
CC
Deter
Hans-Christian
HC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology