Premium
Autonomic and Behavioral Responses in Coma Due to Drug Overdose
Author(s) -
Schuri Uwe,
Cramon Detlev
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1980.tb00145.x
Subject(s) - coma (optics) , psychology , heart rate , stimulation , arousal , audiology , skin conductance , pulse (music) , anesthesia , reactivity (psychology) , autonomic function , neuroscience , heart rate variability , medicine , blood pressure , physics , electrical engineering , detector , optics , biomedical engineering , engineering , alternative medicine , pathology
In this study the relationship between autonomic and behavioral susceptibility to stimulation was investigated in 27 patients with different levels of coma due to drug overdose. The degree of impairment was determined with the M unich C oma S cale (MCS). During presentation of four stimuli (optical, acoustic, tactile, electrical) behavioral responses as well as changes in heart rate, finger pulse amplitude, and electrodermal activity were studied. Heart rate responses were closely related to behavioral changes in severely comatose patients; however, this linkage was not as obvious in less severe cases. Finger pulse responses almost invariably accompanied behavioral reactions at all coma levels. Sensitivity to stimulation and correlation with behavioral reactivity was lowest for electrodermal responses.