Variations in the Sensory Threshold for Faradic Stimulation in Psychopathic Subjects

Variations in the sensory threshold for faradic stimulation in psychopathic subjects: V. The group of the psychneuroses.

“…Correlations with emotional tone and other psychic factors do not appear. It is interesting to note that 13 readings on the three chronic alcoholics in this group averaged 251 Beta units, which again demonstrates the effect of alcohol in raising this threshold 6 . It is thus to be seen that the psychoneurotics have a normal sensory threshold to faradism (with the above noted exceptions).…”

“…Apparently as far as this threshold is concerned such a perversion of function does not exist. This is the more remarkable in view of the fact that perversions of function such as are found in Manic Depressive Insanity appear to exert an influence on this threshold 8 . This is the more remarkable in view of the similarity of the genetic factors in these two conditions.…”

“…This fact is of diagnostic value, more especially in differentiating these cases from some of the frank psychoses. It will be remembered that 50% of the Dementia Precox cases show an abnormally high threshold value 7 , and so at least it can be said that when the differential diagnosis lies between these two conditions this test will be of aid in half the cases. Again this test would appear to be of value in deciding as to whether a given depression was of psychoneurotic origin or of the graver Manic-Depressive group 8 .…”

Psychological experiments with disordered persons.

“…In a later study of 149 manics and 287 depressed patients, Grabfield (71) found the limens of the latter group ending higher than those of the manics which were scattered about the mean for normal persons. Repeated determinations on a few depressed patients found their limens lowering as the depression became less profound.…”

“…Only the threshold for electrical stimulation has been investigated with any degree of thoroughness, and the results are conflicting. Grabfield (70), believing the threshold for electrical stimulation to be an index of general nervous irritability, gave induction shocks, measured in Beta units by Martin's method, 9 to 135 patients selected at random. In this first study the average thresholds for every diagnostic group was above that for his control subjects.…”