Electrodermal hyporeactivity as a trait marker for suicidal propensity in uni- and bipolar depression.
BACKGROUND
A meta-analysis of studies investigating electrodermal activity in depressed patients, suggested that electrodermal hyporeactivity is sensitive and specific for suicide.


OBJECTIVE
To confirm this finding and to study electrodermal hyporeactivity relative to type and severity of depression, trait anxiety, its stability and independence of depressive state.


METHODS
Depressed inpatients (n = 783) were tested for habituation of electrodermal responses and clinically assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the STAI-Trait scale for trait anxiety.


RESULTS
The high sensitivity and raw specificity of electrodermal hyporeactivity for suicide were confirmed. Its prevalence was highest in bipolar disorders and was independent of severity of depression, trait anxiety, gender and age. Hyporeactivity was stable, while reactivity changed into hyporeactivity in a later depressive episode.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings support the hypothesis that electrodermal hyporeactivity is a trait marker for suicidal propensity in depression.
Department of clinical and experimental medicine, Linköping University and Emotra AB, Gothenburg, Östgötagatan 60B, 582 32 Linköping, Sweden. Electronic address: lars@emotra.se.
L H
LH
Thorell
M
M
Wolfersdorf
R
R
Straub
J
J
Steyer
S
S
Hodgkinson
W P
WP
Kaschka
M
M
Jandl
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013405:Suicide; D055815:Young Adult
Depression; Electrodermal hyporeactivity; Sensitivity; Specificity; Stability; Suicidal behaviour