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The “Psychogalvanic Phenomenon” of Normals and of Psychoses.
Author(s) -
Satô Syôdi
Publication year - 1933
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1933.tb02400.x
Subject(s) - galvanic cell , phenomenon , psychology , association (psychology) , apprehension , orientation (vector space) , mood , reactance , audiology , psychiatry , cognitive psychology , medicine , psychotherapist , chemistry , physics , mathematics , geometry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , voltage
Summary.1 There are no definite psychogalvanic reactions specific to the clinical disease‐entities. In the cases of deteriorated schizophrenia the galvanic reactions are almost always absent. This is perhaps due to the indifference of the patients towards stimuli. Epileptics show irregularities in the galvanometer deflections. 2 The relations between the psychical symptoms and the galvanic responses can be expressed roughly as follows:a. Patients with disturbances of orientation, of apprehension and of attention, give weaker reactions when compared with those with intact orientation, apprehension, and attention. b. In patients who do not attempt to solve the arithmetical problem the galvanic reactions in mental arithmetic are very weak. In patients who have incomplete reckoning ability and require a long time to give an answer, the galvanic responses are very large, even larger than normals or patients with undisturbed reckoning ability. c. Patients with dull association give greater responses than patients with quick or incoherent association. d. Patients of gloomy or depressed mood give greater galvanic responses than those who behave indifferently, or those who are of light or gay humor. e. There seems to exist no relationship between psychomotility and psychogalvanic phenomenon.