Electrodermally differentiated subgroups of anxiety patients and controls. II: Relationships with auditory, somatosensory and pain thresholds, agoraphobic fear, depression and cerebral laterality.

Patients diagnosed (DSM III) with anxiety disorders (agoraphobia, panic syndrome, generalised anxiety syndrome) were classified along with controls as electrodermally stabile or labile on the basis of non-specific electrodermal activity and rate of habituation to tones. While patients showed more evidence of psychopathology than controls on scales of anxiety, neuroticism, depression and agoraphobic fear, patient labiles scored higher than stabiles on agoraphobic fear and were differentiated by higher scores of Beck depression. They were also more sensitive to pain, whereas patient stabiles were less sensitive at absolute somatosensory threshold. Amongst controls agoraphobic fear was associated with lability and stabiles scored higher on autonomy in locus of control. Lateral asymmetries in auditory thresholds were consistent with reciprocal hemispheric influences on electrodermal reactivity and habituation, modifiable by anxiety. Interrelationships between fear, depression, sensitivity to somatosensory stimulation, pain, and superior vigilance performance in patient labiles were consistent with elevated right hemisphere function.