The Effect of a Painful Stimulus and its Recall Upon Respiration in Psychoneurotic Patients*

Abstract

Summary Respiratory tracings were obtained on a series of 39 psychoneurotic patients and 14 control subjects during the administration of a painful stimulus and during the subsequent recall by the patient of this experience. The respiratory records were analyzed period by period for rate and depth of respiration, minute respiratory volume, metabolic rate and expiratory-inspiratory angle. As a result of a previous study the patients were divided on the basis of hospital diagnosis into two groups. Group 1 included 27 patients diagnosed as hysteria, phobia or anxiety neurosis. Group 2 included 12 patients diagnosed as hypochondriasis, reactive depression, compulsion neurosis or questionable schizophrenia. Most of the patients of Group 1 showed during pain an increase in rate, in minute respiratory volume, and in metabolic rate, as well as a shift towards sharper expiratory-inspiratory angles. During recall there was an increase in minute respiratory volume which was not great or as consistent as during the pain period. Patients of Group 2 showed during pain little or no change in rate. They showed an increase in depth of respiration, and correspondingly a small increase in minute respiratory volume. The changes in metabolic rate and in expiratory-inspiratory angle were not consistent. During recall there was some increase in rate, no consistent change in depth, or in minute respiratory volume. The metabolic rate decreased slightly in most cases for recall, and the expiratory-inspiratory angle was more acute. A majority of the control tests showed during pain an increase in depth or respiration, and a moderate increase in minute respiratory volume. There was no increase in metabolic rate. The expiratory-inspiratory angles became more acute. During recall there was some increase in rate of respiration, and again in the majority of cases an increase in minute respiratory volume. Metabolic rate decreased slightly in most cases for recall and the expiratory-inspiratory angles became more acute.