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Nervous reactivity changes in patients with late post-traumatic mental disturbances

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Summary

A polygraphic study of 105 patients with late-post-traumatic psychiatric disturbances and 158 matched subjects in two control groups has shown marked differences in nervous reactivity. The differences, estimated by testing the electrographic components of the orienting reaction elicited by a repetitive auditory stimulus and its habituation were expressed by changes in the intensity, resistance to habituation, and sequence of habituation of the somatic, autonomic, and EEG components. The character and severity of alterations depended on the site of the traumatic impact, lesional aspect of the craniocerebral trauma, clinical picture of mental disturbances, and features of the EEG tracings.

Zusammenfassung

Eine polygraphische Untersuchung an 105 Patienten mit später post-traumatischer psychischer Symptomatik zeigte bedeutende Unterschiede der Reaktivität des Nervensystems, verglichen mit 158 Subjekten, eingeteilt in zwei Kontrollgruppen.

Die Reaktivität wurde gemessen mit Hilfe der elektrographischen Elemente der Orientierungsreaktion durch wiederholte Application eines akustischen Reizes und seiner Habituierung. Diese Störungen bestanden aus Veränderungen der Amplitude der Hautwiderstandsreaktion und der Habituierung der somatischen, vegetativen und EEG-Komponenten.

Charakter und Stärke dieser Veränderungen hingen von Lokalisierung und Ausprägung der traumatischen cranio-cerebralen Verletzung, der Psychopathologie und der EEG-Veränderungen ab.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neurology and Psychiatry, Bucharest, Romania

    Radu Rogozea & Viorica Florea-Ciocoiu

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  1. Radu Rogozea
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  2. Viorica Florea-Ciocoiu
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Rogozea, R., Florea-Ciocoiu, V. Nervous reactivity changes in patients with late post-traumatic mental disturbances. Arch. Psychiat. Nervenkr. 229, 75–87 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00343804

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00343804

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