Work

Acute dissociation predicts rapid habituation of skin conductance responses to aversive auditory probes

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: The present study examined how acute dissociation, trait-like dissociative symptoms, and physiological reactivity relate to each other. Sixty-nine undergraduate students were exposed to 14 aversive auditory probes, while their skin conductance responses were measured. A combination of self-reported anxiety and trait-like dissociation was found to predict variability in peritraumatic dissociation levels induced by the aversive probes. Furthermore, high levels of acute dissociation were associated with faster habituation of skin conductance responding, while trait-like dissociation was unrelated to habituation. Interestingly, individuals who reported childhood trauma displayed elevated skin conductance responses. Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence indicating that subjective feelings of acute dissociation have their objective concomitants, notably fast habituation of physiologic responses.

Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress

DOI: 10.1002/jts.20323

Authors: Timo Giesbrecht, Harald Merckelbach, Linda ter Burg, Maaike Cima, Daphne Simeon

Institutions: Maastricht University, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Language: English

Topic: Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health