Skin conductance conditioning with dyshidrotic eczema patients.

Thirty-three patients with dyshidrotic eczema were trained either to decrease or to increase the electrical conductivity of the skin. Skin conductance has been found to be related to epidermal water content as well as emotional variables, both of which have suggested links to eczema. Subjects trained to decrease skin conductance showed clinical improvement more often than the controls who were trained in the opposite direction. They also showed a significant decrease in measured conductance and anxiety. The controls showed increased anxiety and no significant changes in skin conductance level.