Psychophysiological indicators of acute stress disorder.

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to compare basal psychophysiology and startle reflexes in acute stress disorder (ASD) patients and controls. Stress reactions to traumatic event include acute and chronic reactions like ASD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They are characterized by prominent psychophysiological symptoms that can give insight into the pathogenesis of PTSD. We measured heart-rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), electrodermal activity (EDA) and electromyography (EMG) of musculus orbicularis occuli during an acclimation period and during the presentation of startle stimuli in 29 ASD patients with different traumatic experiences and in 33 healthy controls. ASD subjects had similar habituation to the startle probe as healthy controls. EDA for individuals with ASD after traffic accident was higher then for healthy controls. There were no differences for heart-rate in two compared groups. EDA appears to offer the most reliable psychophysiological indices in the ASD following traffic accident.