title: Semantic conditioning of salivary pH for communication.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Semantic conditioning of salivary pH was investigated as a new paradigm for binary communication.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a sample of eleven healthy participants, affirmation or negation of presented statements were paired with milk and lemon to condition changes in salivary pH level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences between the conditioned reactions were found at the group level. However, the analysis of pH changes on single-subject level revealed significant differences between affirmative and negative responses to the presented statements only for isolated samples in few participants. When classifying a change in pH value of more than .01 as correct response to a statement, only responses to affirmative statements reached mean accuracies of more than 60%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvements in the paradigm are necessary before testing it with the critical target population of patients to prove its profit for basic yes/no communication in case no other reliable means of communication could be preserved.
authors: Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Silcherstr. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address: carolin.ruf@medizin.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors: Carolin A
authors: CA
authors: Ruf
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: De Massari
authors: Franziska
authors: F
authors: Wagner-Podmaniczky
authors: Tamara
authors: T
authors: Matuz
authors: Niels
authors: N
authors: Birbaumer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Binary communication; Classical conditioning; Salivary pH; Semantic conditioning