Die Trennung der nicht organischen von der organischen Hörstörung mit Hilfe des psychogalvanischen Reflexes

Psychogalvanometric Investigations in Psychoses and Other Abnormal Mental States*

“…With respect to the electrical resistance of the body in this syndrome Syz. and Syz and Kinder (1,2) reported an increase, while Richter reported that the resistance was the same as normal. "…”

The electrical phenomena of the skin (psychogalvanic reflex).

“…Sung-Sheng and Lehmann agree with Wechsler that the galvanpmetric throw increases with the electrical tension, but also found that neither absolute nor relative resistance fluctuations vary considerably from each other even with the use of different tensions. Gildemeister (6) and Philippson (1) point out the effects of variations on the frequency of the current and the difference in resistance when alternating or direct current is used.…”

“…(5) Sectioning of the lower bulb of the medulla abolishes the psychogalvanic reflex with any stimulation arriving over any sensory nerve. (6) The center of the psychogalvanic reflex is localized in the corpora quadrigemina and the apex of the calamus scrittorius. (7) Peripheral stimulation starts impulses traversing any sensory nerve which in turn communicates with the bulbar region.…”

The psychogalvanic reflex.

“…One of the chief diffiuclties connected with the use of the psychogalvanic reflex is that of making comparable with one another the reactions observed in different subjects and in the same subject on different occasions. Aside from factors pertaining to the experimental " set-up," which could presumably be kept constant, one should consider, Smith (17) observes, the possibility of variation: (1) in "the proportion of the emotion" which finds expression through those efferent channels which innervate the skin; (2) in the responsiveness of the skin to such innervation; and (3) in the initial resistance of the subject. It is easy to show experimentally that, in general, the greater the current passed through the subject, the greater is the absolute magnitude of his reactions.…”

“…Albrecht (1) working in the ear-clinic at Tubingen, came to the conclusion that the psychogalvanic technique offered a satisfactory means of distinguishing between organic deafness and psychogenic or simulated deafness. He first determined that in cases of normal hearing words whispered at a distance of four meters regularly produced distinct galvanometric deflections.…”