Psychosomatic Medicine 6:31-39 (1944)
© 1944 American Psychosomatic Society

Electroencephalographic Studies in Asthma with Some Personality Correlates

¹ Psychiatric Division, Bellevue Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical College

Fifty-four male cases of bronchial asthma have been studied from the point of view of electro-encephalographic and personality data.

The electroencephalographic data indicate a definite relationship between bronchial asthma and a dominant alpha record, i.e., about three times as many dominant alpha records were found in the asthmatic group as in a normal group.

Dominant alpha records have been correlated with passive, receptive types of individuals. This has been determined by previous studies, (17, 21).

Our own personality data would seem to indicate that in general we are dealing with a single, fairly definite personality constellation. Our patients appear to be a fundamentally passive dependent group who are the children of an over-protective, dominating mother. They have not cared for, striven for, or gained any marked degree of independence in life and continue to seek care and protection from the environment.

Our results would indicate, therefore, a close relationship between bronchial asthma and a fundamental passive dependent personality structure, by the criterion of high dominant alpha index correlation with established passive personality.

These findings would seem to show the value of this type of study for the better understanding and evaluation of the underlying personality structure and psychic factors in patients with this disease and in psychosomatic problems generally. Some further implications of this study have been pointed out and discussed.

Note:
Read at the American Psychiatric Association meeting at Detroit, May 1943

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. B. Gregerson The Curious 2000-Year Case of Asthma Psychosom Med, December 1, 2000; 62(6): 816 - 827. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]