Skin Conductance Response as a Decisive Variable in Individuals With a DSM-IV TR Axis I Diagnosis

In order to identify some typical patterns of autonomic arousal, a sample of 104 subjects was consecutively recruited respectively with diagnosis of: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Panic Disorder (PD), Major Depression Episode (MDE), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) following the DSM IV —TR criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). All subjects underwent a psychophysiological registration with a continuous detection of some autonomic physiological parameters, with, among others the Skin Conductance Level-Response (SCL/SCR) evaluated at rest, during a mental stress test presentation (MAT) and after the stress presentation (Psychophysiological Profile, PPF, Fuller, 1974). Obtained data confirmed previous researches (Pruneti et al. 2010; 2011): the high level in SCL in GAD and PD. In MDE and in OCD instead, the profile is characterized by activation flat and non-reactive to stimuli, with only a few differences between the two groups. These data, confirm the relevance of the psychophysiological assessment and, particularly of the Galvanic Skin Response, in the differential psychopathological diagnosis and in the treatments evaluation in the entire situation cauterized by stress-induced disorders.