Mind–body interactions are important in functional somatic syndromes (FSS). Therefore, in the assessment of the psychophysiological stress response in patients with FSS, both subjective feelings and psychophysiological activity should be simultaneously measured. In this study, “Objective Tension Score” (OTS) was defined as an objective parameter of tension; it consisted of surface electromyography and skin conductance level as indicators of muscle and mental tension, respectively. “Subjective Tension Score” (STS) was defined as a subjective parameter of tension. Changes in OTS and STS in response to the stress task were investigated in 30 FSS patients and 28 controls. Objective tension was significantly hyporeactive to the stress task and STS was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. There was a significant negative correlation between OTS response and STS in the patient group, but no significant correlation in the control group. Our results suggested the existence of dissociation between subjective and objective responses in FSS patients. This may indicate that FSS patients had difficulty with the awareness of bodily feelings, thus supporting the concept of “alexisomia” or “escaped bodily feelings” in FSS patients.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bach, M., & Bach, D. (1996). Alexithymia in somatoform disorder and somatic disease: A comparative study. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 65, 150–152.
Bach, M., Bach, D., Bohmer, F., & Nutzinger, D. O. (1994). Alexithymia and somatization: Relationship to DSM-III-R diagnoses. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 529–538.
Barsky, A. J. (1992). Amplification, somatization, and the somatoform disorders. Psychosomatics, 33, 28–34.
Barsky, A. J., & Borus, J. F. (1999). Functional somatic syndromes. Annals of Internal Medicine, 130, 910–921.
Dawson, M. E., Schell, A. M., & Filion, D. L. (2000). The electrodermal system. In J. T. Cacioppo, L. G. Tassinary, & G. G. Berntson (Eds.), Handbook of psychophysiology (2nd ed., pp. 200–223). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Escobar, J. I., Rubio-Stipec, M., Canino, G., & Karno, M. (1989). Somatic Symptom Index (SSI): A new and abridged somatization construct. Prevalence and epidemiological correlates in two large community samples. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 177, 140–146.
Foerster, F., Schneider, H. J., & Walschburger, P. (1983). The differentiation of individual-specific, stimulus-specific, and motivation-specific response patterns in activation processes: An inquiry investigating their stability and possible importance in psychophysiology. Biological Psychology, 17, 1–26.
Henningsen, P., Zimmermann, T., & Sattel, H. (2003). Medically unexplained physical symptoms, anxiety, and depression: A meta-analytic review. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 528–533.
Ikemi, Y. (1990). Psychosomatic medicine as a core of holistic medicine. Shinshin-Igaku, 30, 251–260.
Ikemi, Y., & Ikemi, A. (1986). An oriental point of view in psychosomatic medicine. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 45, 118–126.
Kellner, R. (1985). Functional somatic symptoms and hypochondriasis. A survey of empirical studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 821–833.
Kirmayer, L. J., & Robbins, J. M. (1991a). Concepts of somatization. In L. J. Kirmayer & J. M. Robbins (Eds.), Current concepts of somatization: Research and clinical perspectives(pp. 1–19). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
Kirmayer, L. J., & Robbins, J. M. (1991b). Functional somatic syndromes. In L. J. Kirmayer & J. M. Robbins (Eds.), Current concepts of somatization: Research and clinical perspectives(pp. 79–106). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
Lacey, J. I., Bateman, D. E., & VanLehn, R. (1953). Autonomic response specificity. An experimental study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 15, 8–21.
Lipowski, Z. J. (1988). Somatization: The concept and its clinical application. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 1358–1368.
Lippold, O. C. J. (1952). The relation between integrated action potentials in a human muscle and its isometric tension. Journal of Physiology, 117, 492–499.
Lippold, O. C. J. (1967). Electromyography. In P. H. Venables & I. Martin (Eds.), A manual of psychophysiological methods. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
McNair, D. M., Lorr, M., & DroppLemn, L. F. (1971). EITS manual for the Profile of Mood States (POMS). San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.
McNair, D. M., Lorr, M., & DroppLemn, L. F. (1992). Profile of mood states manual (rev). San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.
Nakao, M., Barsky, A. J., Kumano, H., & Kuboki, T. (2002). Relationship between somatosensory amplification and alexithymia in a Japanese psychosomatic clinic. Psychosomatics, 43, 55–60.
Nimnuan, C., Rabe-Hesketh, S., Wessely, S., & Hotopf, M. (2001). How many functional somatic syndromes? Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 51, 549–557.
Okifuji, A., & Turk, D. C. (2002). Stress and psychophysiological dysregulation in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 27, 129–141.
O’Malley, P. G., Jackson, J. L., Santoro, J., Tomkins, G., Balden, E., & Kroenke, K. (1999). Antidepressant therapy for unexplained symptoms and symptom syndromes. Journal of Family Practice, 48, 980–990.
Papciak, A. S., Feuerstein, M., & Spiegel, J. A. (1985). Stress reactivity in alexithymia: Decoupling of physiological and cognitive responses. Journal of Human Stress, 11, 135–142.
Rief, W., Shaw, R., & Fichter, M. M. (1998). Elevated levels of psychophysiological arousal and cortisol in patients with somatization syndrome. Psychosomatic Medicine, 60, 198–203.
Shields, S. A., MacDowell, K. A., Fairchild, S. B., & Campbell, M. L. (1987). Is mediation of sweating cholinergic, adrenergic, or both? A comment on the literature. Psychophysiology, 24, 312–319.
Shipko, S. (1982). Alexithymia and somatization. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 37, 193–201.
Sifneos, P. E. (1973). The prevalence of “alexithymic” characteristics in psychosomatic patients. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 22, 255–262.
Stern, R. M., Ray, W. J., & Davis, C. M. (1980). Psychophysiological recording. New York: Oxford University Press.
Stoyva, J. M., & Budzynski, T. H. (1993). Biofeedback methods in the treatment of anxiety and stress disorders. In P. M. Lehrer & R. L. Woolfolk (Eds.), Principles and practice of stress management (2nd ed., pp. 263–300). New York: Guilford Press.
Wallin, B. G. (1981). Sympathetic nerve activity underlying electrodermal and cardiovascular reactions in man. Psychophysiology, 18, 470–476.
Wenger, M. A., Clemens, T. L., Coleman, M. A., Cullen, T. D., & Engel, B. T. (1961). Autonomic response specificity. Psyshosomatic Medicine, 23, 185–193.
Wessely, S., Nimnuan, C., & Sharpe, M. (1999). Functional somatic syndromes: One or many? Lancet, 354, 936–939.
Wickramasekera, I. E. (1988). Clinical Behavioral Medicine: Some concepts and procedure. New York: Plenum.
Wilder, J. F. (1967). Stimulus and response: The law of initial value. Bristol: Wright.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kanbara, K., Mitani, Y., Fukunaga, M. et al. Paradoxical Results of Psychophysiological Stress Profile in Functional Somatic Syndrome: Correlation Between Subjective Tension Score and Objective Stress Response. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 29, 255–268 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-004-0386-1
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-004-0386-1