Key result
Among 60 psychiatric out-patients, correlations between subjective and objective heart rate were significantly higher in anxious and hypochondriacal patients than in phobic patients.
Why the study?
Is there a difference in awareness of cardiac function (subjective vs objective heart rate correlation) among anxious, phobic, and hypochondriacal patients?
Observational (n=60)
Is there a difference in awareness of cardiac function (subjective vs objective heart rate correlation) among anxious, phobic, and hypochondriacal patients?
Somatic symptoms in hypochondriacal and anxiety neurosis may reflect increased awareness of bodily function.
May warrant attention to cardiac interoception in anxious/hypochondriacal patients; leaves open causal links and therapeutic implications.
Awareness of pulse rate was tested in 60 psychiatric out-patients with anxiety, phobic or hypochondriacal neuroses by asking them to record how fast their hearts were beating during exposure to short film sequences. Correlations between subjective and objective heart rate (ECG) were significantly higher in anxious and hypochondriacal patients than in phobic ones. The results suggest that somatic symptoms in hypochondriacal and anxiety neurosis reflect increased awareness of bodily function.
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Tyrer et al. (1980) conducted an observational in Anxiety, phobic or hypochondriacal neuroses (n=60). Subjective heart rate recording during film sequences vs. Phobic patients (vs anxious and hypochondriacal patients) was evaluated on Correlation between subjective and objective heart rate (ECG). Among 60 psychiatric out-patients, correlations between subjective and objective heart rate were significantly higher in anxious and hypochondriacal patients than in phobic patients.
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