Hozumi examined quantitatively the relationship between emotional anxiety and the pulse-wave baseline oscillation in both neurotic patients and normals and concluded that the baseline oscillation component of the pulse-wave might be an index of anxiety.
We thus studied patients with dental phobia by referring to his concept.The results are reported with some considerations in this article.
Subjects: 12 patients with dental phobia
(Therapy completed in 10)
10 normal subjects
Method: Autopower spectrum of the subjects'fingertip pulse-wave was used to obtain the ratio of the baseline oscillation component to the pulsation component.Statistical comparisons were performed by using percentages of the baseline oscillation component.
Results:
1.The baseline oscillation component of the dental phobia patients taken at the beginning of therapy tended to be larger than that of the control group.
(t=1.901, df=22, p<0.1)
2.The baseline oscillation component of the experimental group was significantly larger at the beginning than at the end of therapy.
(t=3.086df=9, p<0.02)
3.The baseline oscillation component of the experimental group at the end of therapy showed no difference compared to that of the control group.
(t=1.229, df=20, n.s.)
The above-mentioned results were further confirmed by simultaneously measured SPR, results of the DAS as well as the subjective reports of the subjects.
Therefore the basic oscillation component of the pulse-wave does increase and decrease depending on the degree of fear, suggesting the possibility of being an index of emotional anxiety.
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