Psychosomatic Medicine 2:101-109 (1940)
© 1940 American Psychosomatic Society

Autonomic and Respiratory Responses of Schizophrenic and Normal Subjects to Changes of Intra-Pulmonary Atmosphere

¹ Research Service, Worcester State Hospital, Worcester, Mass.

The cardiovascular and respiratory reactions of 31 normal subjects and 29 schizophrenic patients have been studied in response to a thermal stress placed upon the organism by having them inspire oxygen in which the temperature was raised to 41° C. and the humidity to the saturation point. As indicators, the blood pressure, heart rate, galvanic skin resistance, and respiratory rate and amplitude were used.

Although the basal levels of the various indicators during a control period were quite comparable for both the normal controls and the patients, the control subjects gave significantly larger autonomic and respiratory responses to the increase in temperature and humidity of the inspired oxygen. The findings lend experimental support to indications that the schizophrenic patient is sluggish in adaptive reactivity of the autonomic nervous system.

Note:

This investigation was aided by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.