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Effects of Amylobarbitone and Nitrazepam on the Electrodermogram and Other Features of Sleep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Ijaz Haider  and
Ian Oswald
Ijaz Haider
Affiliation:
Formerly Research Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh; now Senior Registrar, Professorial Unit, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff CF4 7XB, Wales
Ian Oswald
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EH10 5HF
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Extract

The elctrical resistance of the palmar skin, and the naturally-occurring difference in electrical potential between the palm and the dorsal surface of the forearm show simultaneous changes in response to sudden or emotionally-laden sensory stimuli (the ‘galvanic skin response’ or GSR). Spontaneous GSRs occur during wakefulness, especially in anxiety states, but they are reduced by general relaxation and it might be supposed that they would be absent during sleep of uniform EEG appearance. However, Oswald et al. (1959) reported that this was not so and that in sleep with very high voltage slow waves (today generally called Stage 4 sleep) there could be present random spontaneous GSR activity, measured by the potential difference technique. Since these electrical phenomena cannot be related to any known stimulus, to call them galvanic skin responses is inappropriate, and they may better be termed electrodermogram (EDG) activity.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 118 , Issue 546 , May 1971 , pp. 519 - 522
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1971 

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