PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDY OF MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS
Abstract
(1) The physiological and psychological response to intravenous epinephrine and intramuscular mecholyl of 24 neuropsychiatric patients was studied before and after a series of electric shock treatments. Special attention was given to the curves of systolic blood pressure following the injection of the drugs.
(2) Over-all effects of electric shock were:
(a) A lowering of the resting blood pressure level.
(b) An increase in the systolic blood pressure response after intravenous epinephrine.
(c) A lessened systolic blood pressure response after intramuscular mecholyl. These changes were usually accompanied by clinical improvement.
(3) Those patients who before shock treatment experienced an anxiety attack or a frank chill after injection of mecholyl showed a dramatic clinical response to electric shock treatment. Not only was their clinical condition greatly improved after a few electric shock treatments, but it was no longer possible to precipitate an anxiety attack or a chill by intramuscular mecholyl.
(4) Those patients with pretreatment high response to intravenous epinephrine (80 mm. Hg. or more) or with anxiety attacks precipitable by epinephrine showed no clinical improvement after electric shock. Anxiety was made worse.
(5) Several patients failed to show any change in pattern of response to autonomic drugs after electric shock treatment and these patients failed to show any sustained improvement in clinical condition.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
